Remember, Remember
by haruchan104
Summary: She was dreaming, right? Nope. This was happening. Hinata has woken up with eight years missing from her memory. An innocent accident in her gardens caused the whole mess...or was it innocent. Sasuke doesn't think so and there's going to be Hell to pay when he finds the culprit.
1. Chapter 1

Happy New Year my lovelies! To kick off the new year, a new story! Okay so here's the thing, I'm totally going to continue my others, it's just when inspiration strikes...I run with it. This idea came to me one day and I wanted to write about it. SO now that I've said that, let me say this: _This idea has been done before._ *GASP* _This idea has been done before with this pairing._ *DOUBLE GASP* I'm sure that somewhere deep in the fanfiction lairs is some other story that may have the same idea in mind and have been put out here first. Awesome. Here's the thing, though the idea has been done before, the story is of my own creation. On that note...HAPPY DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters or any of the Narutoverse but the story they're in and the OC's that happen to come about, are mine.

Enjoy and happy reading.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _The morning was bright and beautiful; the sun had come out to warm the earth and rid it of the last bit of winter still hanging on to it. Her hair swayed gently in the breeze as she sat, completely at ease, leaning into her husband's embrace. The book she had been reading was placed beside her, having turned her undivided attention to the scene in front of her. Two small girls, no more than seven, with porcelain skin and hair as black as night, giggled and ran through the yard. It was expansive grounds, but through hard work and a bit of patience, she'd turned it into nothing short of their own, personal Eden._

 _The laughter rang through the air and she smiled to herself, watching the girls chase butterflies. She leaned more into her husband's hold, sighing contently, knowing that her life was richly blessed. She turned her face to the sun to warm herself._

 _And then the sun faded into gray and eventual black. Her husband and children had faded along with it. The scene turned dark._

 _Confusion swarm 'round her mind furiously, trying to make sense of what was happening._

 _She panicked._

 _What was going on? Where had they…_

 _Who? Who were those people?_

Her mind was blank and she remembered nothing of the picture that had flooded her mind mere moments before.

Her body felt heavy. Too heavy for liking and she attempted to move her limbs-no luck. Slowly and a bit numbly, she managed to move fingers. Then her hand. She began to feel her own weight again. Her eyelids were stubborn, but they, too, opened to her will. There was a ringing in her ears. She thought she could hear people talking and scurrying about but she couldn't focus her hearing. Slowly, she began to sit up and when she did so, felt herself instantly regretting that decision.

 _I feel nauseous. What….happened?_

Her eyes stung with the bright white of the hospital and it was only making her head throb more. She had little time to wonder why she'd been admitted because in moments, what seemed like hundreds of people came storming into her room. Now she was even more confused than she had been because these people-people she knew-looked so different.

"I must be dreaming all of this," she said, a croak to her voice, "because I know you, but I don't know you?"

Her visitors looked toward one another, faces etched with anxiety and worry.

"Do you know who you are?"

She eyed Tsunade warily.

"Of course I do, Hinata Hyuuga."

Immediate relief washed over most in attendance.

"Do you know how old you are?"

"Yes," she said pausing a moment, "I'm 20."

The worry was back and the anxiety in the room was nearly suffocating. What had happened now? Had she grown a second head?

"What was the last thing you remember?"

She thought for a moment and then a vivid memory came to her.

"I was food shopping for Father. I had wanted to surprise him for his birthday with a new tea cake recipe I'd found."

Silence. And faces of pity and sadness.

"Hinata," Tsunade hesitated, "that was over eight years ago."

Wait. What?

"No, I'm nearly positive it was just yesterday. I may be off by a few days since I've been seemingly sick enough to be hospitalized but that is what I had done last."

"Hinata, you are no longer 20 and you have been in and out of consciousness for the past 6 months."

No. No this couldn't be right.

"I-I don't th-think you're right, Tsunade-sama."

Damn she hadn't stuttered in ages.

 _Some habit die hard,_ she supposed.

"Hina," Sakura stepped forward, "you're now 28, nearing your birthday. Take a good look around, we're all far from 20."

She did as was instructed.

Faces she knew. Faces she loved. Even faces she didn't expect. Sakura had aged. Not as well, perhaps, as her mentor but well nonetheless. Her hair was past her shoulders where it had only passed her ears. Her face had acquired more wrinkles than she remembered and, dare she say, there was a tiny bit of silver tucked behind her ear? Her stomach was not as toned as it had once been and she saw the tell-tale signs of pregnancy and delivery there. As she looked around, she found more of the same among her friends.

"Twenty...eight."

Sakura nodded.

Hinata began fidgeting with her fingers as had been her comfort as a girl. It was only then had she realized two things: she was married and Naruto was not in attendance.

 _I'm not his wife. But I'm someone's wife…_

She stared at her left hand where a well worn and loved band rested on her finger. She began to feel the heat rise to her cheeks.

"Ah, that's the other thing," Tsunade offered but didn't have an opportunity to finish. Very surely, and very confidently, a man stepped to the forefront. A man she'd never really spoken to as a child nor very often as a young adult. Why was he...unless…

"Perhaps we should leave them now," Sakura instructed and the few visitors followed. She shut the door behind her leaving Hinata and Sasuke Uchiha in silence.

She glanced at his hand and noted the similar band around his own finger.

"You're my husband?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You seem more confident than I had expected."

"I-I suppose so."

He smiled gently and went to her side. He took her hands in his and sat down. He was closer than any man had ever been. She felt the burn return to her face. Her instinct was to turn away from him, but his gentle voice and soft expression had persuaded her otherwise.

"There's no need to be embarrassed. I can tell you whatever you want to know. I hold no secrets from you and, before your...accident, you held none from me."

That's right. She still didn't know why she was in here.

"What happened to me?"

His face grew dark; his anger surfacing.

"I-I'm s-ssorry. I didn't m-mean to-"

"No," he said sharply, then instantly softened, "don't do that. Don't apologize for something that was NOT your fault."

He rubbed her knuckles with his thumbs absentmindedly.

"But you said it was an accident? I had to have made some error…"

"You were in the garden, seeing to the orchards mostly. You wanted to check on the potential buds for next spring. You were high up in the tree, and since the g-you'd taken to using civilian methods for the last six years or so. It made you feel closer to your mother…"

He trailed off and gazed into a distant space that she couldn't see, but part of her-a large part of her-wanted to.

"...anyway," he continued, "the ladder collapsed. I'm still unsure how seeing as to you had just purchased it. Tsunade thinks the manufacturer made a bad product."

"What do you think?"

The question caught him off guard. He looked at her-really looked at her-searching her eyes and face for something, anything of the woman he married.

"I think we have a long road ahead of us."

He tensed and darkened once more.

"I can understand if you don't want to return to our home. I'm sure accommodations can be made with the Hyuuga...it would be difficult but manageable. I'll have to explain things to-"

She raised her hand to stop his speech. In doing so, she examined her rings once more. Simple. Practical. And completely beautiful. He knew her taste well.

"Uchiha-"

"Sasuke."

"Sasuke," she started softly, "I th-think it would be better for m-my recovery if I returned to our h-home."

His eyes softened and he clasped her hands once more.

"You don't have to do anything-"

"I kn-know."

Why had she chosen to return to his home? _Their_ home? Was it the way he acted around her? The gentleness he showed her and how at ease her body felt on an instinctual level when in his company. Was it how, in the very little interaction they had, he bared his soul to her. It seemed that they used few words to define their love, in this life she didn't remember. DId she _want_ to remember? Parts of her wanted to run to her home-the one she actually remembered-and hide in her blankets forever. The overwhelming parts of her did want to be this woman. This woman had a husband and a home. A husband who, under all intents and purposes, should not even be in the village. But here he is, sitting next to her, searching her face for any sign of insecurity. He wanted her to be comfortable and confident in her choice and to not feel the obligation to maintain her life with him.

She knew what she wanted.

"I want to go home Sasuke."

He smiled his soft smile and got off of the bed.

"I'll go tell Tsunade. Maybe I can demand enough and they'll let you go soon."

A knock on the door disrupted their conversation.

"How are you fairing Hinata?" Tsunade asked as she made her way into the room with a clipboard. She was alone. Sakura had not followed her.

 _Odd. Or...maybe not?_

"She wants to come home Tsunade."

The woman looked up from the documents.

"Oh? And to which home is that?"

"The only home she has."

He practically growled.

"I see."

She returned once again to her paperwork. Studying the details and flipping through what seemed like countless pages.

"Tsunade."

Another growl.

"Calm down Uchiha. I'm reviewing her last set of labs and as long as she can maintain solid food for the next twenty-four hours, I don't see why she can't be discharged. _However…"_

"What."

"...she needs to gain weight. And she needs proper care before rehabilitation can even be considered. Are you _equipped_ to provide her this?"

The woman looked at him with knowing eyes. He returned her stare, not with one of anger, but with one that also communicated much. What was she missing?

"Yes. I have prepared for her release."

"Very well," she sighed, "eat and keep it down for twenty-four hours and you're free to go. Not a moment sooner. Understood?"

"Hn."

"Yes ma'am."

"Good."

She took a last look at the pair before leaving. Tsunade shook her head and continued with her rounds for the day.

Sasuke too glanced to the woman on his arm. As she slowly made her way with him he remembered every reason why he was the luckiest man in the world. He knew he didn't deserve her and there were several people who told him so daily. His thoughts turned dark when he remembered why his wife was in this godforsaken hospital in the first place.

Someone tried to take his life away. Someone had tried to kill his wife.

* * *

Well?! What'd ya' think? Hopefully you enjoyed reading it as much (maybe more?!) as I did writing it. Like I said before, if you have read something along the same lines. That's awesome. I'm glad you're reading. Just remember that this story is something of my own mind and any other OCC's out there have their own spin on this idea as well. Different points of view and all that. Leave some love and I'll see ya' next time. :)


	2. Chapter 2

I was struck with more inspiration so I decided to upload another chapter. As always, I don't own anything Naruto. I just write these for fun. Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

"Now remember what I told you Uchiha, no strenuous activity or any adventurous foods until she's been completely cleared."

"Yeah, I got it."

She turned toward Hinata leaning into her husband. That was still such a foreign word to her. She had a _husband._ It was equal parts embarrassing and thrilling.

"If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to return to us."

"Of course, thank you for everything."

The older woman smiled at the younger and left them to their own devices.

"Are you sure you don't want a wheelchair? It's no bother…"

"N-no. I've got to start somewhere."

"But you only just woke up and-"

"Sasuke, listen to y-your w-wife, I'm o-okay."

He smiled with a glint of amusement in his eye.

"Alright then. Let's go home."

The walk was a slow one. She took the time to listen to her husband describe all the ways the village had changed and the ways it hadn't. They neared the edge of town, opposite of her childhood home.

 _Of course, the Uchiha and Hyuga would be on completely opposite sides._

The image of the sister clans occupying two opposite sides of the same village amused her. She continued by his side through the last of the village she remembered. As they neared the Uchiha gates, she began to notice how quiet things were. Near the Leaf's center, it was a bustle of activity and although her family were a ways from it, they still could feel the life and buzz of the village.

 _Not here,_ she mused, _perhaps at one point it was similar but this seems much farther out than the Hyuga._

What she'd learned about the Uchiha from her tutors was that they were employed to protect the village, inside and out. Of course, Konoha was a shinobi village and as such they had plenty of protection at their disposal, but the Uchiha clan's sole responsibility was to police the village. Maintain order at all costs. Before their untimely demise, they were the sole shinobi assigned gate patrols. Their Sharingan was an invaluable asset to see through potential attacks and disguises. Or...at least it had been.

Hinata felt overwhelmingly sad, but she didn't know exactly why she should be. Sure, she'd always been empathetic to the plight of the Uchiha. She knew that it could have easily have been the Hyuga and she'd have been in Sasuke's place. Or perhaps, Itachi's? Her blood ran cold thinking about such possibilities. The tears pricked her eyesight before she could even process the grief she felt. Why? Why was she so heartbroken? It felt like there was something at the edge of her mind-the tip of her tongue-that she wanted to say, but couldn't. She wanted to, but no matter how she strained to think clearly, she couldn't remember.

"Here's where the new homes dwindle off and what's left of older buildings remain. It's mostly what's left of the few Uchiha business buildings that were outside our compound. The police station and some related to other businesses. But your favorite has always been this old relic."

They stopped in front of a dilapidated building with dust encrusted, cracked windows. Above the panes were even dingier stained glass pieces depicted various sweet treats and the like. A sign that once hung prominently over the door, now hung crookedly covering the door's right corner.

"Amari's Sweet Shop" she read.

"Yes, it was named after a cousin of mine. Like you, she adored her sweets and while I'm not one for sugar, most of our clan indulged in the stuff. It was rather popular before…"

"It's beautiful."

He looked at her with part amazement and amusement. His gentle smile was back.

"That's what you said the first time I brought you here."

"I-it's still t-true."

She felt her cheeks tinge red.

This memory loss was going to be the death of her. How could she have this life that she couldn't remember? How could she have forgotten _eight years_ of her life? Hinata remembered everything else. The tragedy of losing her mother. The war where she very nearly lost her cousin, had it not been for his teammate saving his life. It just didn't make sense, but then again, what in her life had?

"Come on, let's get you home."

Sasuke tugged gently on her arm, ready to guide her to his- _their_ -home. This was going to be awkward. Even for her, the queen of awkward, this would just be painful.

 _How do I even begin to be a wife?_

She had barely begun to know herself, and now she was right back to the beginning. Whoever she was _then_ was not who she was _now._ Or was it? She felt a headache coming on.

Hinata raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. She'd been all too familiar with terrible headaches as a small child. She remembered them vividly. Just before she activated her Byakugan for the first time, she was riddled with them. Her mother would sit by her side with a warm cloth to lay over her eyes. That was the only relief that broke through the pain.

 _I wonder what Mother would say about all this?_ _I bet Father's having an aneurysm if he's heard already…._

Why hadn't he, or her sister for that matter, at the hospital when she woke up? She'd seen a few familiar faces, aged of course but how could she forget her sensei, her teammates? The thought made her stomach drop.

No. She couldn't think about such things right now. She had to focus on the task at hand. Being Sasuke Uchiha's wife.

It all was enough to make her blackout, something she hadn't done since she'd gotten over her crush on Naruto after the war.

Her face burned once more. So much so, she caught the attention of her aforementioned husband.

"Hey," he stopped and turned to her, bracing her by her shoulders to steady her.

"Breathe Hina, just breathe. Focus on what you know. The rest doesn't matter right now. You're here and…"

His voice broke. The pause to compose himself helped ground her. She looked curiously at him, watching him take his own advice in order to regain his composure.

"...you're alive. That's all that matters to me. I don't care if you never remember a single thing about our past. _You_ mean more to me than that."

Wow.

 _What in the hell happened to him?_

She was taken aback by his vulnerability and his gentleness. It was something that had left her gobsmacked even in the short time they'd spent together in the hospital.

 _How? Why had he changed so much?_

She lifted a hand to his cheek and he instinctively leaned his face into it.

This man, who hated the world and this village, who was still gruff and cold to everyone else even now, was completely different with her. She watched him as they'd walked through the village and he had the same emotionless face of indifference she'd remembered from long ago. Here he was acting as if she were water and he'd been searching for an oasis in the desert.

He smiled. A real smile.

"We're almost home."

He led her the rest of the way to the home. They passed through the gates, worn but steadily guarding this land that, once you stepped through them, was officially Uchiha land. If she'd thought this side of the village had been quiet, the Uchiha district was deathly quiet and still. The buildings and homes that had weathered time, Pein and the war did so in solemn dignity. Nature had taken control of once was a bustling family hive. Faded signs, crumbling paint and loose boards creaking in the wind, left her feeling more alone than she'd ever had.

 _Why did they let him stay here as a child? This is enough to drive the strongest of shinobi insane._

Finally, the old broke through to the new. Furthest from the gates and ruins stood a house. Not just any house, but the home they'd made together. From a life she didn't remember but she found herself desperately wanting to.

She stopped to take it all in. A one story craftsman style cottage with a lush garden all around it and settled behind a wrought iron fence. Just behind the home, on the edge of her normal vision, were more flowers, plants and the orchards he spoke of yesterday. The perfection of it all took her breath away.

"You had the same reaction last time."

She turned to him, faster than she should have, but he caught her before she could fall. With tears threatening to spill once again, she gazed into the midnight eyes that searched her face for any sign of disappointment or anxiety. When he found none, he returned her gaze and they stood there, for however long she couldn't be certain. There were no words that she could find that could describe how she felt and it turned out she didn't need any.

She didn't remember marrying this man. She didn't remember any of the life she'd shared with him but his actions, his calm and gentle way with her, was winning her heart bit by bit. She still didn't know how she was going to be his wife but she vowed to herself to try.

She smiled.

"Of course I did. It's beautiful. And completely perfect."

He beamed at her. Something she imagined no one else had the pleasure to witness, except, she supposed for his mother when he was a boy. The thought made her core warm.

"Let's go inside."

Opening the door, the couple entered the main living space. Open and airy with windows from floor to ceiling. It was warm and comfortable. It was lived in but cared for. It was _home._ She felt that in somewhere in the depths of her heart, she called this home. It was a feeling of finality that made her cautiously optimistic about the choice she'd made yesterday.

He brought her to their couch and she settled in with a sigh. He put a blanket over her lap.

"Can I get you anything to drink? Are you hungry?"

"Tea would be lovely, b-but I'm not sure I could eat."

He nodded and went to work preparing her tea. Sasuke opened cabinets and pantries finding the ingredients he needed.

 _Wait a second, how did he-right, married._

Sasuke was making her chamomile tea with honey and citrus oil. A recipe she'd developed during her teen years that helped her relax and was, in all areas of tea, her favorite.

"Here you go," he said, handing her the mug.

The steam wafted into her nostrils and returned a feeling of familiarity that she'd missed since she'd woken up. She sighed and sipped to her heart's content.

"It's nice to have you home."

She smiled.

"I-I don't remember living here b-but I can say I-I think I'm glad to be h-home."

He returned her smile and moved to sit next to her.

"I wanted to say, before... _life_ happens, that I don't want you to feel obligated to me. Our life here, our home, is something I offer to you because, even though you don't remember, you saved me. You brought me back from the darkness I never believed, nor wanted to come back from…"

He sat for a moment in silent reflection and then, with a headshake and slight smirk, "it's _quite_ the story actually. You'll have to hear it sometime."

"How a-a-about now? That is, i-if you w-want to."

His smirk grew into something of a self-satisfied expression. It slightly annoyed her but she had no idea why.

 _Must be my imagination._

"If you're sure you want to hear it, it's _not_ for the faint of heart."

He leaned back on the couch's armrest and crossed his arms. That same smirk still plastered all over his face.

 _WHY AM I SO ANNOYED BY THAT?!_

She furrowed her brow in frustration. He laughed. Which made him smirk even more if that were physically possible.

"You seem annoyed my dear. Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing. It's just-nothing. Go ahead with the story."

Another laugh. Her brow creased deeper.

"Alright then, settle in darling because it is quite the tale."

Settle in she did. Moving the blanket up to her chin and leaning fully back on the couch she made herself comfortable, the annoyance and irritation fading. She still didn't know why that was so irritating but it didn't matter. She was about to hear the beginning of their story.

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Well, that's chapter two. I hope you all liked it and if you did...let me know! Reviews make chapters happen faster...a little bird told me that...anyway, thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Because a kind reviewer was anxious to hear what comes next annnnd seeing as how I had it written, I decided to post. FRIENDLY WARNING: Some adult themes are mentioned in this chapter so be wary. Don't worry, it shouldn't be triggering to anyone. As always...**

 **I DON'T OWN NARUTO... but I do kinda own the story they're playing in. Kinda? Maybe?**

 **Anyway, read on and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

He hated this stupid village. He hated it and everyone in it. Even the idiot and he could barely tolerate Sakura. He had to after everything he'd done to her. He hated but he wasn't heartless, at least not yet.

Spring was the worst. It meant that he couldn't stay in his home and brood because the idiot would beat his door down wanting a sparring partner. He begrudgingly obliged because he had nothing better to do.

How he ended up on his way to the Hokage's office was just part of the plan. A plan that Naruto had concocted to get the anti-social Uchiha out of his house and in to see their former teacher.

"Sasuke I'm glad you made it."

"I didn't have much of a choice," he said through grit teeth.

"Don't be like that! It's great outside today! You're just rotting away in that deathtrap you call home."

Sakura, standing next to Kakashi, cringed. Then a familiar fire in her eyes pierced through to lunge a fist at the blonde.

"YOU IDIOT! Try to have some tact! Honestly!"

"Saaaaakurrraaa I didn't meeeean it."  
"Tch, whatever. He's an idiot so it's expected."

On the outside, he was cool and collected. On the inside, he wanted to pulverize the moron with his Chidori.

 _The fucking idiot had no clue, NO CLUE, what it felt like to watch your family disappear. Sure, he'd been alone but did he have to live in the same house, across the hall from the room he watched his parent's murder? NO. He didn't. Fucking idiot._

"Well, now that you're all here, I have a little business I need to tend to, it's... regarding the Uchiha."

"Why are they here?"

"Oh, they're here as a...support system for you."

 _Support system my ass._

"Get to the point Kakashi."

"The village elders wanted me to remind you that your parole is nearing it's end. Congratulations."

"Whatever."

"And that there's the matter of your...of the Uchiha accounts and assets that need to be addressed."

"What about it. It's mine. I live there. End of story and no one is entitled to know what I do in my own home. Unless the laws of the village regarding _civilians_ have changed."

Naruto and Sakura stopped their bickering at this.

"Civilians? Kakashi-sensei what is Sasuke-kun talking about?"

"Yeah sensei."

 _Perfect. They didn't know. Yet another annoying thing they'll fight the village about._

"A condition of Sasuke's pardon was that he retired from active duty. He'll be able to use chakra and exercise his...talents within reason."

"Within reason? Kaka-sensei what does that even mean."

"YOU Blockhead. It means he can only spar with you and protect the village."

"Sakura's correct."

They all became quiet. Kakashi continued.

"To answer your question, Sasuke: no, they haven't changed."

"Then I'm leaving. All of it is mine. I've signed for it yesterday and this has been a pointless excuse for an unnecessary reunion."

As he turned to leave, Kakashi stopped him.

"Not exactly Sasuke."

He turned slowly, anger flaring. Eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, _not exactly."_

"The village council is requiring compensation for the back taxes from the Uchiha lands. They are seizing the majority of the Uchiha district."

The killing intent was high and Sasuke was livid.

"You mean to tell me," he said, barely above a whisper, "that this _village_ is going to take my land-my home-from me after taking my family. Isn't the eradication of the traitor clan enough? They've rid the world of the Sharingan. It dies with me. Aren't they fucking satisfied with that?"

"Lower your anger before the Anbu break down the door."

"Let them!"

"ENOUGH," Kakashi bellowed.

"I opposed this at every turn Sasuke. I did what I could. The only piece of land they were willing to leave you was the plots of the south edge of town. The old Uchiha businesses reside there and the majority of the Clan buildings-including the archives-are located in that span."

Sasuke turned on his heel and stormed to the door. He needed to leave before he killed them all.

"Sasuke…"

He turned to Kakashi a final time.

"I'm sorry."

"Fuck off."

With that, he slammed the door and left the Hokage building. Sasuke ran through the rooftops and back to his home. He was stopped by ANBU guards.

"Uchiha this is village property. You are not permitted here any longer."

 _I should Amaterasu the stupid squirrel mask off his fucking face._

"This is my home. I need to get my things."

"A team moved your belongings to the Main House in your district on the south side of town. There's no admittance for you here."

Sasuke had had it. He would burn this fucking village to the ground. There was no one here worth saving. The idiot and Sakura deserved each other. They could rot with the rest of this hellbound village.

"Uchiha. If you do not calm down, I will have to restrain you."

"Tch."

 _Like you could dumb ass._

"Your belongings are in your family home. Move on Uchiha."

 _Oh, today just keeps getting better and better._

His first instinct, to kill everyone in his path, was overridden by his desire to drink himself into a stupor. He crossed the village to the outskirts of town to a bar he often frequented when he wanted to forget. Before the massacre, he remembered his father, uncles, cousins and even brother making their way to this very establishment.

The door creaked as he opened it and the smell of liquor and broken men washed over him like a blanket. Nothing had changed from the time his father came here, well, except the name. It used to belong to his clan but now it was just another seedy bar on the edge of town.

"Uchiha. Usual?

"Hn."

Taking the same seat in the back by the wall, he could see the whole place and its people. He removed his coat and settled in for a long session of drinks and self-pity. The barkeep brought him the bottle and a saucer. He poured himself the first of many drinks he planned to consume tonight.

He took a drink.

The liquor was quick and effective, warming him through and burning his throat as it went down.. Had he only had three drinks? What the hell did it matter. He'd drink himself into the ground if he wanted. He was a civilian now. He had no family, no responsibilities. He couldn't leave this fucking village but he could drink it away.

He couldn't afford to be now. Now that he knew _exactly_ where he stood in this town. He was nothing but a show dog. To parade in front of opposing villages and a threat to their enemies.

He took another drink and slammed the small saucer on the table, shattering it.

All eyes turned his way, including a startled pair of pearlescent ones from the bar. He'd nearly missed her sitting there. Sasuke had startled her but proved no threat. So, unlike every other drunken asshole-himself included-in the bar that day, she returned to her drink, finishing it off in one fail swoop. She set the pint down.

"Excuse me, may I have another? The s-strongest you've got."

The seedy old man looked her up and down, stopping too long on her chest, licking his lips. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

 _Tch. She'd never be drunk enough to screw_ him. _Dirty old bastard._

"Sure kid."

The barkeep handed her another glass. She drank with a purpose. This intrigued him and drove him to move to her. Had he not been so drunk, he would have not cared about her or why she was here. His body was warm and his mind buzzed with intoxication. Had he not been so drunk, he wouldn't have taken the steps that would change his future forever.

He found a place at her right and perched himself next to her. She was...still. Emotionless. Her eyes glazed over in thought. She moved only to take a long swig. Putting the glass down, she stared off again. She was at odds with her surroundings; dismal, dirty bar playing host to the pretty little princess. Being the bitter bastard he was, he couldn't help but think:

 _Tch. She's probably just slumming down here to hide away from her controlling ass father. That cousin of hers has a stick up his ass too. Didn't she have a brat trailing her? A...sister?_

Whatever it didn't matter. Why did he care about whatever hell bound family she had. She was a _Hyuga_ and they were all the same. She could do to be lowered a peg or two...Maybe she had been considering how she'd been drinking.

 _She doesn't even acknowledge me._

Sasuke Uchiha had always made it a point to avoid women in this town. They were insane. All of them. They'd all but thrown themselves at him as a preteen. Then, upon his return, they'd wanted him to… intimately familiarize himself with how much they'd grown. It didn't matter he'd been branded a traitor and all but stripped of his status. He was the rebel and that was a novelty. He was always _someone's_ fucking novelty. Or project. Or what the fuck ever.

Now that _this_ woman had all but ignored him, he found himself annoyed. He downed the remainder of the bottle and motioned for a new one. The old man, in disappointment that he'd now face competition for the girl's _attention_ , dropped the bottle heavily in front of him. The noise and his company didn't phase her. He took another long drink and stared at her through narrowed eyes. Why won't she just-

"I don't know why you came over Uchiha-san, but I'm not in any mood to entertain you."

He cocked his eyebrow at her.

 _Damn._

She didn't care about offending him. That was...odd right? He tried to remember this girl from school. He had gone to school with _someone_ from their clan right? He studied her face and used his Sharingan to find her in his expansive memory. Drunk or not, he could still control his cursed eyes. It took him all of ten minutes to find a girl...surely not this one...who would fawn over the idiot. Shorter hair and hiding in the background but there she was. Ha! He knew he'd seen her.

Her hair was longer. She was obviously taller and _developed._ His eyes lingered. Her Byakugan activated.

"Uchiha-san."

Her tone was icy and cutting.

This was not the same girl. _That_ girl was timid and kind. She'd even offered him her lunch when they were kids when she'd learned he had nothing.

 _...the fuck happened to her?_

She was an anomaly. A puzzle he couldn't solve…

 _Yet._

"I don't need entertainment Hyuga. I'm here drinking the bad shit away, same as you."

"You assume that I've had a bad day. You assume too much."

He smirked at her. Toying with her could be fun. The princess wanted to play with fire, she'd get burned.

"Hn. Yet here you are, with the strongest sake in the place, finishing the whole bottle. You must be a drunk. What would Daddy say? Or Naruto? Their perfect heiress getting drunk off her ass for no apparent reason."

He raised the bottle again, swallowing too much of the liquor, but he drank it through. He'd be damned if he'd let the liquid best him.

"It's not your concern."

"Oh, I know, but...I'm making it my business. You don't just come to the edge of town, on the border of your precious Leaf and the slums of what is the remainder of my family's land and expect me not to make it my business."

She didn't turn to him. She had no need to. He was familiar with the Byakugan and its powers...and weaknesses. He rose from the stool and stood behind her. In her blindspot.

She didn't move.

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You show no fear of me at all Hyuga Princess."

"Don't call me that."

He scoffed.

"Is that not what you are? Their little heiress. The one they hold in _such_ high esteem? _That_ princess?"

She said nothing. Slowly she turned on her barstool, Byakugan still activated.

"Uchiha-san," she hissed,"you, of all people, should know that not everyone is who they are perceived to be. Kindly remove your hand or I'll do it for you."

She lifted her hand opposite the shoulder where his rested. Her fingertips sizzled and sparked with a near invisible energy. His Sharingan saw it for what it was-the famed Hyuga jyuuken. Oh this was great. His smirk widened.

"Oh will you?," he was taunting her now, but he didn't care.

"I will. I mean it. Let. Me. Go."

There was fire in her eyes. Pure anger. He'd not been the initial cause but he'd given her someone to focus it on.

There was a moment, between her anger and his cruelty, that their eyes met. Perhaps the first time the Byakugan and Sharingan were in such close range. They were two of the same but completely different.

He saw her anger, pain and the bitterness of betrayal.

She saw his sadness, emptiness and aggression.

Neither were able to see that they both were aching, longing for the same things at their core: family, love, compassion and mostly, understanding.

He removed his hand like he'd touched a hot poker.

She deactivated her doujutsu.

Sasuke returned to his seat next to her, unsure of what had just transpired but absolutely certain it was because he was wasted. Right?

Hinata returned to her drink. She gulped the rest down, and asked for the bottle.

The pair sat in silence at a bar that never closed. The drinks came and went, as did the patrons. Sasuke's eyes wandered back and forth between the girl and his booze. His mind had never left her.

The energy that charged the room was still very palpable, but he noted that the silence wasn't an angry one.

He finished yet another bottle and lifted his hand to wave over the keep. She tapped his shoulder. His arm went limp.

Hinata, with a drunken smirk of her own, leaned over the bar and retrieved a glass. She poured him a generous portion of her own bottle, slid it to him, and returned to her own drink.

"Uchiha-san, why did you come over? You've never spoken one word to me before tonight and we're both drunk so tell me the truth. Why?"

 _Now she wants to talk._

His tenketsu were completely shut down. Wonderful.

"Well?" she prodded, "You're supposedly heartless, but I've never seen you provoke anyone who didn't deserve it. _I_ mostly certainly did _not_ deserve it. So tell me why?"

She turned to him and rested her head on her hand. Her face was red with drink.

He wanted to be pissed. But he couldn't. She'd attacked him. Sort of. He should be right?

 _Screw it. I'm too drunk to give a fuck._

He sighed.

"You piqued my interest Hyuga. The only person who drinks as much as you have is me. And I do it because I'm constantly getting screwed by this goddamn village. It intrigued me so here I am."

"I see."

"Hn."

More silence. More drinks.

She slammed her mug down and faced him full on.

"I'm here because I've been officially disowned. As of my twenty first birthday, which by the way is in two months, my sister will be declared heiress. I refused to marry for money or power and so they just disowned me."

"And they just let you leave? Aren't they obsessive about that Byakugan?"

"No. Well, they are but I left because I'm damn well old enough to make my own decisions. The plan was to brand me as soon as they told me but Hanabi made a big enough distraction so I left. They can't brand me if I'm not a part of the clan anymore. They sent the document to the Hokage this morning declaring my _status_. I had nowhere else to go so here I am. The drinking was a convenient excuse to not give a damn."

 _This girl...she's got more balls than most of the men in her clan. Hell in the village._

He nodded his approval.

She drank more. He drank more.

This time, he slammed the glass down.

"The village took my family's land. I only have a third, if that, of the property I inherited. They've moved all my junk into my parent's home. Yeah the one my brother fucking sliced them to pieces in. So now, I'm supposed to go back to my dead parents' house where my dead brother killed them and somehow live there. You know, without killing myself from all the ghosts. Oh yeah. They took me off the active duty roster. The village bastards decided I can't be trusted so I've been locked down to civilian status. I wasn't as lucky as you. When I was unconscious after the war, the old bitch gave me a brand that prevents me from leaving without the current Hokage altering it. I can't stay gone or I get sapped of all my chakra and die."

He grabbed the bottle from in front of her with his good arm and downed it.

"This goddamned village should burn with everyone in it."

She turned to him and looked him in the eye.

"There's not _any_ one you'd want to spare? Didn't Naruto bring you back? He's like your boyfriend? What about him and….Sakura."

Drunk or not, he couldn't miss the bitterness in her voice. He knew it well.

"Tch. _Boyfriend,_ fuck off. As for the two of them, they don't really care about me. They care about the idea of who they want me to be. They fix people and they just want to fix me. Both of them deserve each other."

Silence.

"Maybe they can fix each other."

"Ha. If he could stop being a fucking moron and she'd stop beating the shit out of him maybe they could."

"Uchiha-san?"

"Just Sasuke. We're drunk together we've reached a level of familiarity that supersedes formality."

"Sasuke then. I just…"

He could tell her mind was whirring and fighting against the haze of drunkeness. She wanted to say something and she wanted to say it right.

"I just want you to know that I'd spare you."

"From?"

"From the inevitable fire that will destroy the village and everyone in it. And maybe my sister since she's just as stripped of choices as I am."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why?"

She turned back to her glass and took another big gulp finishing it off.

"Because I know what it's like. I see you as how you are. Right now."

"What exactly is it you see?"

His tone had turned icy and venomous. She was dangerously close to making him regret coming over here. Then he'd have to make her forget. He'd have to-

"I see," she said boldly, "someone who just doesn't know how to be loved. Naruto and Sakura…they don't know how to love someone truly. They know infatuation and obsession but not actual love. I know how that is-to be everyone's version of yourself but not be who you are."

She shrugged then turned from him.

Sasuke Uchiha was a man of few words. (When he wasn't drunk.) He never opened himself up to anyone. She could destroy him. She could use this to extort him for all he's worth. He didn't give a single damn.

"Do you?"

She looked at him curiously.

"Do I what?"

He paused. His mind was screaming at him to stop right then and move on. But he was drunk. So he didn't listen.

"Know how to love."

She cocked her head to the side and thought.

"I'm...not sure."

He was going to regret this whole night. Fuck it.

"Want to find out?"

She furrowed her brow in confusion. Then, it dawned on her. Cue the massive blush that crept over her, seemingly, entire body. In spite of it, she rose from her seat and looked him dead in the eye. He followed her movements. Hinata stretched to work the stiffness out that had accumulated from sitting for such a long time. Her arms raised above her head, making her shirt rise past her middle. She didn't have her jacket on.

Sasuke knew how to read cues. And he stood, and offered her his hand. She took it without hesitation. He dragged her into the night air. The coolness made their inebriation even more intense. Such body heat. Such _tension_.

"Where are we going?"

He stopped and turned to her.

"Just because you have no place to go to doesn't mean I don't."

She smiled wickedly at him. He was growing warmer by the second-and it wasn't the effect of the alcohol. He knew for a damn fact that none of their _friends_ knew this side of her. It was a secret between them, between the deviants the drinks had influenced them to become.

He whisked her away through the ruins of town, passed forgotten shops of his clan of childhood and through the Uchiha gates. He forced them open and they moaned and sighed with the force of his pushing. They entered the forgotten district with electricity in their veins. He'd never allowed a woman to get into his head this much but he didn't care. She'd never allowed a man to entice her to following him into reckless abandon but she didn't care. The night pushed them forward with the wind guiding their trail.

The thing about the night is, the darkness can conceal things the daylight ruins. It's a protector of lovers, sinners and vagabonds. The harsh sunlight often tears what the darkness of night carefully stitches together.

The houses became frequent again, some were nearly condemned but here, most of them were just old. Dust clung to every nook, every board, every window. The wind whistled through open doors, abandoned in the night to cover the sins of a village who didn't care.

He continued to guide her through the paths that were as familiar to him as his own mind. Over his shoulder he said:

"The main house has been kept up because Kakashi can't mind his own business."

She nodded and followed him still.

The Main House of the Uchiha clan compound loomed in the darkness. It was as intimidating and enticing. A forbidden place. Death had touched it but neither cared.

The anticipation radiated off them both. It penetrated the air and propelled them onward.

Sasuke threw open the door and pulled her inside. Her face still tinged with the redness of drink.

He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall, kissing her with fire in his soul. It burned him. It singed her. It enveloped them both.

She returned his kiss with a passion she'd never felt before. It flowed out of her and into him in waves. Guiding him to her like a lighthouse, always watching.

The night made them braver, bolder. The moon, a soft illumination of their conspiracy, shown through the stained glass windows above the door left open. Colors danced along their bodies, painting them in the vibrancy they both felt.

Hands explored, hearts lept.

Sasuke let his hands roam over her at leisure, confident in the mews and affirmations he was receiving. She kissed him hard, taking him aback, allowing her to turn their positions.

Hinata, aggressor, roamed as she pleased over angles and masculinity she'd never before touched. She reveled in the feeling of steel and bone under her fingers and allowed them to dwindle farther down him.

Their kisses were the flames that licked the walls.

Sasuke gasped when she found the evidence he was not all bone. She hummed in satisfaction. He growled and reversed them once more. Kissing fire into her soul.

They broke a part. He was shirtless. As was she. They slowed their fire.

"This doesn't have to happen," he whispered into her ear, tickling her ear lobe, lighting her senses up with electricity, "you have a choice."

He continued his affections down her jaw and neck. Biting. Sucking. Over and over.

"I've made my choice," she purred, "I choose this. I choose you."

A new feeling washed over him. He couldn't place it. It was a long forgotten emotion but he dared not dwell on it and rip apart the stitches.

He drew her to him, "Come with me."

Taking her hand, they moved with in absolute synchronicity to the main hallway of the upper level. He kissed her hard, igniting the fire once more. She melted into him, as ice yields to the heat of summer. He roamed over curves and hips. Lifting her into his arms and taking her into a forgotten room of forgotten guests long since gone.

He placed her with gentle strength on the futon, dust catching the moonlight. He discarded the remainder of his clothing. She mirrored him. He took in the beauty of the night. She gasped at the fire she felt when he went, with kisses from her mouth down her body, to her hips and finally where none had ventured. The night continued to push them forward, cradling them in its sounds and whispers.

He smirked satisfactorily when she allowed herself to feel the pleasure in abandon, not flinching when she stiffened in pleasure. He kissed her, up again, to her mouth. She grabbed the core of his heat and stoked the flames. He gasped. She smirked. She guided him to the point of no return. Regardless of what brought them to this moment, they could not, would not turn back. They would be irreparably entwined forever.

He pressed forward. She gasped as he broke through her innocence. They moved as one, continuing to express feelings to the other they've never shared in the daylight. The daylight destroys but the night...the night nurtures what could not, should not be.

Over and over. Moans and sighs. Flames flared and they both renewed their pleasure with the other.

As long as the night prevailed, they stayed locked in a mass of limbs and heat. They didn't put a name to this, they just _did._ They allowed themselves to exist, in this moment, for only each other. And for themselves.

The dawn shown through the window when they finally allowed the fire to extinguish. The daylight was coming, but they did not care. They stayed as they were because the daylight could go fuck itself.

Two fucking months.

That's how long it'd been since he'd seen or heard from the Hyuga. Sure, he knew her name.

 _Hinata._

He surprised her the next morning by actually knowing it. She didn't run. She didn't try to hide behind the booze and call it a one night stand, like he had every intention of doing. Sasuke Uchiha was the first one to admit he was a bastard.

This time, he didn't have to be.

 _THE MORNING AFTER_

They'd woken up sometime in the early afternoon to pounding on his door. Well, the bedroom door considering they'd left the front door wide open in their haste. He eventually got up to answer it, but Hinata had been out cold. Turned out the Hyuga were as much of a bastard as he was. They'd come looking for her to "come and retrieve her belongings as she was no longer welcome without an escort." Once they'd seen her in his bed, they'd let it be clear exactly what they thought of her. The words _slut_ and _whore_ had been thrown around.

Sasuke Uchiha was a bastard and most definitely did _not_ defend anyone's honor. That day, he wasn't. He'd activated his Sharingan so fast they didn't have time to respond when he'd formed his chidori. They received the message loud and clear: Hinata Hyuga was now Sasuke Uchiha's responsibility.

He didn't know what he'd been thinking, bringing her here and sharing such...intimate parts of himself both physically and emotionally. Believe it or not, he'd not been the scoundrel most made him out to be. He'd had sex maybe twice before Hinata. Both times were to gather sensitive intelligence for Orochimaru. This was the first time he'd initiated it out of want.

She'd not been as a heavy sleeper as he'd thought. Hinata had caught him threatening her cousins. It had shocked her for the simple fact that she _knew_ he chose to be alone and have no attachments. She may have been drunk, but she was not unaware of her choice to say no. She had prepared herself to gather herself (and her clothing strewn throughout the house) and start her life without her "family". After Sasuke's actions, she wasn't sure what to do.

He'd come back to a very confused Hinata.

Sasuke sighed. Well, he'd only had himself to blame for this predicament and, as they say, misery loves company.

"Your...family came by to drag you back home."

"That's not my home," her voice cracked but she stood firm.

He raised an eyebrow at her as he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed.

"Where is your home then?"

"That," she said standing up to put her pants on, "is what I need to figure out today."

He watched as a very naked Hinata put each leg into her pants and pulled them up, jumping a bit to get them over her… _assets._ He felt that surge of heat again. Sasuke wanted to get rid of it, snuff it out before it had a chance to grow but the seed had been planted.

"You don't happen to know where my shirt is, do you?"

She didn't stutter but she turned bright red. (And yes, for those who were wondering, the blush _does_ extend to the rest of her body.) They'd been intimate, yet here she was, shirtless and braless, embarrassed to ask him about her shirt. He shook his head. He tossed her his own.

 _She's going to be the death of me._

She smiled and put his shirt on, pulling her hair out of the back. She looked to him. He looked to her. And they both stood there staring at each other. It wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. It was just because neither of them knew what to say.

So she giggled.

Only one other woman laughed like that. And she'd lived in that very house some twenty years prior.

 _Definitely screwed,_ he thought.

"Don't look so depressed Sasuke," she said teasingly, "you'll have your solitude back as soon as I find my shoes."

 _She's leaving?_

Where would she go? What would happen if her father had her brought back to the Hyuga manor? Wait. Why did he care? She was a grown ass woman, who was also a very skilled kunoichi in her own right. So why did he feel like he was losing something?

"You can stay here."

She stopped looking for her shoes.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

If she'd been confused before, now she was just lost. She'd given him an out. Even though he'd practically declared to her cousins that she was his responsibility (because in a clan as ancient as hers, if a man of no relation to you defended you against your own kin, that was as much proof as they needed to cast you to said man). She didn't want him to feel obligated because of her sob story last night. It was a _very_ nice night all things considered but she wasn't going to be pitied, especially by someone who'd literally lost everyone he loved.

"I said you can stay here."

"That's kind but not necessary. Last night was-"

"I'm not a kind man, Hinata. I don't say or do things I don't want to say or do because I'm a nice person willing to inconvenience myself for the greater good. Last night was…"

She waited for him to voice his disappointment or regret.

"Last night was the first time, in my whole existence, that someone stayed with me because they chose to and wanted to. You chose to stay even with all the cards stacked against us both."

She blushed.

"Sasuke, I-"

"I'm not saying let's get married or anything. We don't even have to, I don't even know what to call it, date? Go steady? I don't know-"

She giggled again.

The tips of his ears turned red in embarrassment.

"Tch. Look. You need a home. I have a home. For a reason that still leaves me guessing, you seem to enjoy my company. I'm rude. I don't give one single damn about sparing your feelings. I will be cold and aloof. That's who I am and honestly, I don't thing you'd try and change any of that."

She stood there solemnly. Hinata was a smart woman. He imagined she was weighing her options which were few.

 _It beats being homeless. Or having to deal with that idiot._

"Okay."

"What?"

"Okay, I'll stay. But it's only fair that I warn you that I'm not nearly as kind or meek as everyone makes me out to be. Most of the time, that's just a shield. People don't generally get too close to the shy girl. I can be mean. I can be unreasonable and sometimes I just cry for no reason. That's who _I am_. And I honestly don't think you'd change me either. As for the state of this…"

She motioned between the two of them.

"...Why don't we just let the cards fall where they want."

He smirked.

"How very adult of you."

"Yes," she laughed, "I think so too."

 _END_

She'd been called on a mission assignment not even a week later.

Sasuke did _not_ worry about people. He did _not_ care whether _he_ lived or died, nonetheless anyone else. Yet here he was pacing the floor waiting for her to walk through the door.

 _She was due back two months ago! It was supposed a week long mission damn it!_

He paced and paced until he began to wear a hole in a rug he didn't care about. So he paced some more until he finally heard the door knob twist.

"Sasuke?" she called.

He ran to the door and pulled her into a hug. He nearly smothered her.

"It's good to see you too?" she laughed.

"What happened," he demanded, "are you hurt? Did your family brand you? What _happened?"_

He led her to the living room to a sofa that showed obvious signs that he'd been sleeping there. Sasuke Uchiha didn't care about people. Hinata was not _people_ , she was different.

She smiled, "It was just a normal scouting mission. We managed to track the suspects farther than anticipated. We sent word to the Hokage and he decided that we should hold our position to eliminate any chance that they'd vanish again. That's all."

He put his hand on hers that rested on her knee. Sasuke looked her over carefully, for any signs of untruth or injury. He found none. He _did_ notice the paperwork she was trying to hide from him in her other hand carefully positioned under her legs.

"What's that?"

"Oh! Th-that's j-just b-boring paperwork."

He didn't need a Byakugan to know she was bullshitting him.

"Hinata…"

She sighed and handed the papers to him. As he read, confusion and, if he was honest, relief washed over him.

"These are active duty release papers. Are those village bastards trying to fuck with you? Because I'll go up there and tell them that just because you live here doesn't mean-"

"Read the next page."

"What? Why? I'm telling you I'll go up there, village be damned."

"Sasuke just read it."

He flipped to the next page.

Sasuke Uchiha had never once fainted in his entire life. Until now.

Eventually though, he managed to recover from said black out and compose himself. He couldn't have read that right. Right?

"Well of all the scenarios I ran through in my head, this was not one of them."

"So it's real?"

Hinata looked offended and quite a bit irritated with him.

"Of course it's real! Why would I fake a pregnancy? I can't just make up these documents. Honestly you-"

He kissed her. With the fire that he'd thought had been extinguished by her absence.

Hinata was left stunned, "that...wasn't one of them either."

 _Wait._

Dread overwhelmed him.

 _How can I be so stupid? She is in charge of her own body. She doesn't have to keep the baby. I'm a moron for assuming._

His voice became short and his eyes distant.

"Whatever decision you make, I'll support it."

"Excuse me?"

"I can't just assume you'll have it. I mean, this is your body, your choice."

Her eyes widened and her Byakugan activated. She flew to her feet and dragged him up by his shirt collar. She pushed him against the same wall this whole ordeal started with.

"You...you... you can be a real bastard you know that!"

Sasuke was so stunned he simply nodded.

"OF COURSE I'm going to keep the baby-our baby. _You_ can choose not to be involved as that is _your_ choice but I'll be damned if I let you assume that I don't respect your heritage and mine enough to have our child!"

She looked ready to kill him. And she very well might.

 _Better fix this…_

Sasuke did the only thing he knew he could do without getting his penis jyuukened. He put his hands on either side of her face and said:

"I swear on everything I am, I'll be by your side and protect you both. Even if we don't end up together, we are _in this_ together."

He kissed her and softly whispered, "Thank you."

Hinata's eyes were glazed over with tears threatening to spill. So she did the only thing she knew she could do without losing it. She placed her hand on one of his and guided it down to her slightly rounded abdomen. She returned his kiss and said:

"We're two months into this and you're already making me crazy."

She laughed and added: "This is your future Sasuke Uchiha so don't you dare think you can lose yourself to madness. This baby deserves a father who wants a future."

They both looked deeply into one another's eyes. Similar to when they were drunk in the bar, a moment of understanding passed between them. He smiled his first real smile in almost a decade and turned his attention to her midsection.

Slowly, he kneeled in front of her and activated his Sharingan. He wanted to remember this moment until the day he died. He placed both hands on either side of the newly emerging bump, a sure sign of life within. He leaned in close to it and gently kissed it.

Sasuke Uchiha did not care about people. He did not give two shits about hurting anyone. He was a bastard who did what he wanted to who he wanted when he wanted. Nothing could change him.

Nothing except her. He didn't know when it'd happened or how considering they'd spent so little time together before her mission, but it did. What Sasuke Uchiha _didn't_ know but would find out soon enough, that as much as the Uchiha could hate, so could they love in equal measure. They burned hot and imprinted nearly instantly. Uchihas were a clan of fire, of curses and of a love that no one had remembered.

Hinata let her tears fall freely when she heard him address their unborn:

"Hey there, I'm your Papa…"

* * *

 **That's that. Did you like it? I know, I know. Hina's a lot bolder than she normally is but come on. How many stories does she have to be passive and just let things happen to her? I imagine she has a breaking point or a proving point that makes her say, f*** it and just do what she wants. Who better than Sasuke-Kun to indulge her? As for our favorite angsty anti-hero, I take liberties with his personality. I do it because the human condition affords us the opportunity of being so many different versions of ourselves. We battle our natures almost daily and little by little, time changes us. Evolution if you will, but I like to think we do it because we just can't stay static in a universe full of possibilities.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave some love. Be kind to yourselves, lovelies. After all, everything had to happen exactly right for you to exist. Happy Sunday. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**My dears! You are so kind when you leave reviews. I am so, so happy that you're enjoying this story. And for those who are reading my others, don't worry. I intend to finish them. This particular gem is inspiring me the most, so it's updated when I feel a chapter is up to snuff. I never know a timeline because I just go with the flow. Anyhow...YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD DISCLOSURE: I don't own Naruto or its characters or anything like that. I just like making things better, because, well let's face it: I'm a little salty about canon. That's why fanfiction exists amirite? ^_^ Without further ado, I present chapter four. (Watashi no tomodatchi o tanoshimu)**

私の友達を楽しむ **(Watashi no tomodatchi o tanoshimu) Enjoy my friends!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Sasuke wasn't sure whether or not he should be concerned or amused at the different shades of red presented before him. His wife had gone from pink, to white, to bright red, to white again and now on the verge of some burgundy color. He may have to call for a medic soon…

"I am so, _so_ sorry."

Finally, she spoke. Her head cradled in her hands didn't bode well for him.

 _...she doesn't want to be here anymore._

He sighed and braced himself for the inevitable blow of rejection.

"It must have been…"

 _Here it comes._

"...really _really_ strong liquor. I I-I'm usually not so bold…"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. She was apologizing for...being drunk? For sleeping with him so many years ago?

Sasuke shook his head.

"Hina, you do know that I was a _very_ willing participant right?"

He regarded her intently. She sat nervously fidgeting with her hands.

"Y-yes."

Her eyes never left her fingers. Her face still a lava lamp of embarrassment.

He couldn't deny the elephant in the room. It was huge and they both were avoiding it. Eventually he'd have to tell her everything but...did it have to be _right now_? What if he just made it worse. He always seemed to make things worse...

Hinata was not good with anxiety. Her mind whirred in different directions as she continued processing what he'd told her.

They'd had _one night_ together and it was her _first_ time!

She scoffed mentally; the odds had been in her favor.

Then she was faced with her first bout of "mommy guilt"...except, in her case, her guilt wasn't for something she'd done but for what she'd _forgotten_ she'd done. It would build up and then cover here in a blanket of guilt. Near soul-crushing guilt. How had she forgotten she'd been pregnant? Is that something one just up and forgets?

 _Augh. What is wrong with me?_

She groaned, leaning forward to cup her face in her hands once more. It seemed like the best option considering she couldn't look her husband in the eye. How could she when she'd failed not only him but their child. Logically, she knew it wasn't her fault; however logic had a tendency to be shadowed by an irrational heart with overflowing emotions.

 _How can I_ possibly _make this better? I don't think I'll ever remember anything..._

She sighed, lifting her head and turning to face the large windows. Hinata wasn't necessarily maternal, not like everyone had assumed she was anyway. She'd always wanted to be a mother, especially since her own had passed so early on in her life. And now, she was one. But she had no skill, no preparation or recall. She only knew what she'd learned from volunteering in pediatrics at the hospital. Being a mother was hard enough, even for the women who were good at it. And she was seemingly very bad one because she couldn't even remember her child's name. Or that they even existed in the first place. That headache was returning.

Sasuke loathed anxiety. In fact, he'd go out of his way to _avoid_ it. Anxiety and vengeance did not make for good company. They always seemed to cancel one another out, leaving him in a confusion that he didn't like nor did he want to be in. Anxiety was foreign, but revenge...revenge was familiar. It had been bred into him in adolescence, nurtured into early adulthood and let loose on the whole of the five nations.

He had no choice now but to face the anxiety, and the unknown, head on. Hinata was everything to him. He'd never intended to fall in love and, even though he'd made it his secondary goal, he didn't ever want children. Yet here he was, everything he'd always said 'never' to had come to pass. This was a situation he seemed to be finding himself in since becoming so entranced, so beguiled by the woman sitting in front of him.

Life would be easier had he not chosen this path but what makes life easy is not always what makes life worth living.

He finally had his family back and he'd be damned if he sat by and let someone steal that from him...again. They'd not be in this situation in the first place had it not been for some bastard targeting his wife. He was anxious alright...anxious to wrap his hands around the throat of the-

"So," she started, voice raspy, "we have a child?"

He turned his attention back to her. She was still watching the wind play in the trees through the window. The soft light of late afternoon washed her face in a glow one may have considered angelic. Her expression was soft and thoughtful.

 _One step at a time Sasuke. Revenge can wait. She is more important..._

Oh how times have changed.

"We...do."

Whatever trance she'd been lulled into by the fading light, was rather abruptly interrupted by that tone. Her eyes narrowed. Something seemed familiar about that...that tone he just used with her. But she just couldn't put her finger on it. Like a word at the tip of her tongue, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't articulate it. This irritated her. She turned to look at her husband full on now.

Hinata Hyuga, erm Uchiha, was many things but dumb was not one of them. Years of honing her Byakugan had taught her how to watch-and listen- for tells, clues that someone wasn't being exactly forthright with their information. Now was one of those times.

 _He's hiding something._

For some reason she couldn't explain, and she didn't really want to at the moment, she felt...annoyed. It was a deep, deep irritation that just made her want to strangle him. What had he even done wrong? She was being so irrational it made her inner self cringe. On the outside, however, she didn't care.

 _He's keeping something from me because he thinks I can't handle it._

Damn it all. Just like _everyone_ else, he thought she was weak.

"Byakugan," she whispered, veins protruding on either side of her face.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

 _Oh shit,_ he cursed, _I know that look. I've pissed her off._

He'd been on the receiving end of her jyuuken more times than he'd like to admit. Most of them were during her pregnancy when his mere existence made her irritable. Not so much during the normal, happy time when she was in control of herself. He loved her. More than his own life. And his children were even more precious. But pregnancy... _that_ was a cruel, cruel joke designed to suffer poor husbands into submission. He would admit, there were times when his decisions weren't made with the best outcome in mind. During those times, this was the look she'd given him.

In case you didn't know, Sasuke Uchiha was not perfect. As unlikely as it seemed, it was true and his wife had no problem helping him stay humble.

He sighed.

 _Looks like I'm on the couch tonight._

This was a feeling he wished _he_ could forget.

"Sasuke, tell me." She demanded.

"What?" He answered, feigning innocence.

He could feel the air crackle with her gentle fists warming up.

He gulped.

"Hina maybe you shouldn't use so much chakra-"

"I said," she ignored him, "tell me _whatever_ it is you're hiding from me."

 _Damn._

It was unavoidable now. Here came the elephant and he was going to plop right down on Sasuke's lap.

"We do have a child….and another. We have two."

Whatever she'd been expecting, that had not been it. As a matter of fact, she didn't really know what she'd been expecting. All she knew was the inherent annoyance she felt at being kept in the dark was causing her to lose track of her rational mind. It was primal, almost, this feeling that came over her.

"Two," she repeated quietly, Byakugan receding.

Guilt. Times two. She still couldn't understand how could she have forgotten this. Wouldn't her children have been her first concern once she awoke from unconsciousness?

 _Wouldn't they?_

Her twenty year old mind had no real experience to pull from so she couldn't be certain. What she was certain of, was the fact that she wanted to cry. The tears began to pool, her eyes glossy.

"Hey," he said coming to sit next to her, "don't do that."

He wiped a rogue tear that trailed down her face.

"Don't feel guilty for not remembering."

"Why not?" she demanded.

She was angry now. At herself. At the universe. At whatever force had allowed this to happen. She'd lost _eight years_ of her life and there was no way to get that time back. At least, to her it seemed hopeless. How could she be so weak? So feeble minded? That's the only reason why this could have _possibly_ happened. If it had been _Sakura_ , who's _obviously_ stronger than she'd ever be, _she_ would have remembered.

That pissed her off even more.

 _Why? I didn't even know I was married to him not even twenty four hours ago. So why does_ Sakura _of all people, bearing his children make me want to punch something?_

Kami only knows how'd she'd explain this to them. Her children….

A flicker of something. The tiniest of lights-a pinprick. A thread connected. A tiny, tiny thread connected her anger, her frustration to... a simple thought she'd had before.

"...I made from scratch."

"What?" Sasuke barely spoke above a whisper.

"I...made them. Our children, I mean, from scratch. Like…"

"...you make the cinnamon rolls. And both are-"

"Perfection," they said together.

And just as soon as it had come, the thread snapped. Leaving her with a fragment of a memory that was on the tip of her tongue. It made her whole body ache. She so desperately wanted to remember….

She looked at Sasuke who regarded her intently.

"You...remembered," he began cautiously, "you say that to everyone who tries your baking. You say, 'If you like these, you'll love my children because I made them from scratch too and both are perfection.'"

She smiled. The thought warmed her through. What guilt she'd had was still present but part of it had been replaced with a memory. A small one, a phrase, but _she had remembered._ There could be more wherever that one came from and _that_ gave her hope. The optimism almost made her giddy.

 _This roller coaster of emotions are going to be the death of me._

"I can show you a photo if you want," he offered.

Hinata's eyes brightened.

 _Of course!_

"I'd love that." She smiled.

He smiled, pleased that he'd found a way to bring back that smile he loved so much.

Sasuke moved from the sofa to the mantle where various pictures were carefully placed. They were large enough to be noticed but not so much that you could see who was in them. He gently picked one in an antique silver frame and brought it to her.

"The one on the right," he said sitting closer to her than before, handing her the photo, "is Asuka. She's our oldest. The left is Haruhi."

Hinata hadn't ever believed in love at first sight...until now. She couldn't help but stare into the two little faces smiling up at her. Two girls, identical she noted, looking no more than seven. Both with dark black hair matching their father's. They'd also inherited his eyes. Everything else, she noted, had been passed on to them from her. She could feel the tears again.

Without her even realizing it, that tiny thread had knit her heart and mind together for the briefest of moments. The primal, gut feeling she'd been having since discovering she had children, was now easily identifiable. It was her love for them. It made her so frustrated because she knew, deep down in her soul, at the very core of her being, that she _needed_ to love them.

A mother's love is inherent, instinctive and exists entirely on its own. Even memory couldn't hold it at bay. Tears flowed more freely now.

"They're beautiful," she whispered, and then with a nervous laugh said, "twins. Of course."

He chuckled.

"Yeah... that part was a surprise to me."

She looked at him curiously.

"Really? You didn't know my father had an identical twin brother?"

He shook his head.

"I'm sure the information had been shared with me at some point, but it never mattered much to stick. For so long, I just wanted to get my revenge. You neglected to share that information with me so when we finally got to see the 'baby' you just burst into a fit of hysterical laughter when I nearly passed out."

Hinata found it hard to believe that Sasuke Uchiha- _the_ Sasuke Uchiha-could be shocked at something so...so _normal._ She raised an eyebrow to show her disbelief.

"I can tell you about it if you don't believe me."

"Please do," she giggled.

"Fine, just listen….."

.:.:.:.:.

"Is this _really_ necessary Hina?" he asked, dreading the trek into the middle of this asinine village.

His wife shook her head, walking to the kitchen sink to pour her a glass of water.

"Of course it is. It's a normal and very important to make sure the baby's growing the way it should."

He rolled his eyes.

"Can't you just Byakugan them or something? We are shinobi with two formidable eye doujutsu, surely we can handle this."

He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her middle, and resting his head gently on top of her own. He bent to whisper in her ear,

"I'm sure it could lead to much _more fun_ ways to spend the day than being stuck at that damned hospital."

Hinata's spine tingled in latent antici…..pation. (Sorry had to. ^_^) She shook her head and leaned into him.

"Sasuke…"

He sighed.

"Fine. But I swear to all that is holy I will kill someone if they say a word to you on the way there."

It had spread like wildfire throughout the village. Their one night stand had become the stuff of sultry gossip and smutty legend. It was what the village matrons would talk about in the dark corners of their homes, secretly wishing themselves to be in her place. Publicly, she'd received more than her fair share of shamed humiliation.

At first, she'd seemed bothered by it, but eventually she just ignored them all in favor of focusing all of her attention on him and their baby. She'd always told him that,

"Father has always told me, 'Lions lose no sleep over the opinions of sheep.' I always thought he was being too harsh on innocent people who didn't know any better. But now, I see what he'd meant all along. Cruelty only breeds more cruelty."

He'd offered to chidori them all and set fire to the whole place but she'd always just giggle and shrug it off. One day she'd let him and he'd happily oblige.

As the couple walked through the village, it was no secret that they were being watched and gossiped about. Sasuke shot them all looks of death and destruction. Hinata...she just walked on with her hand rubbing her swollen abdomen, humming some song she'd learned as a child. Eventually after what _seemed_ like forever, they reached the hospital.

They received no respite from the stares even then.

Fortunately, they'd never been made to wait. Tsunade had decided to take Hinata on personally, considering that this was the first time in history (that they knew of anyway) that the Sharingan and Byakugan genes had mixed.

A nurse led them into a room with a number of different machines and instructed Hinata to lay on the bed.

"Tsunade-sama will be with you shortly," she said, her voice cold.

Sasuke growled but his wife took his hand in hers and placed it on her belly. His attention instantly turned to her and his eyes widened at the sensation of his hand bouncing ever so slightly on the top of her middle.

"He knows his Papa is _quite_ agitated with this whole ordeal," she giggled.

"He?"

The door opened.

"You'll know soon enough," Tsunade said, shuffling papers in her hands, "how have you been feeling Hinata?"

"Large," she exhaled.

Tsunade shook her head.

"As is expected. First timers are always shocked at the weight gain. Just means the little one is getting bigger as it should."

She lifted Hinata's shirt and began the procedure. She rubbed a cream over her stomach.

"This will temporarily stop your chakra from interfering with the machines. Think of it as a much, _much_ weaker form of your Jyuken."

The gel came next, which was explained to help the probe see through her skin.

"Why can't we just do this the faster way and let me look with my Sharingan."

Tsunade shot him a harsh sidelong glance.

"You know very well why Uchiha. You two are civilians and are not permitted-"  
"To use chakra or doujutsu in village limits. I'm painfully aware."

She clucked her tongue, "Don't be a smart ass. You're able to Sharingan the hell out of everything with the gates of your district. You were the one who went on a global rampage seeking blood."

He narrowed his eyes and the temperature rose a few degrees.

"Can we see the gender, Tsunade-sama?" Hinata asked, changing the subject and lightening the mood.

"If the little one cooperates," she said moving around the probe, "we should be able to. It will come up on this screen here."

She turned the monitor toward them so they both could get a better view of the black and white image.

Sasuke had no clue what he was looking at. The only reason he knew it was an arm or a head or what the hell ever was because Tsunade told him. Hinata seemed to have no problem seeing their unborn child in the mass of static.

"Just as I thought," Tsunade said.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata asked, alarmed.

The old woman smiled.

"Not at all. Take a look."

Both parents tried to see what she was seeing. Hinata gasped and a hand flew to her mouth. Sasuke still didn't know what the hell was going on and he was starting to get pissed. If something was wrong with their child, there'd be hell to pay.

"What's wrong," he demanded.

Tsunade gave him a wry smile and said,

"Uchiha this is an image of your daughter…"

He froze.

 _A...daughter?_

A small smile crept over his features. Hinata was teary eyed at the sight.

"...and this one is of your _other_ daughter."

Sasuke had always been collected if not always calm. Today was not one of those days. The color drained from his face and he suddenly felt lightheaded.

"Another….daughter? Two as in…"

"Twins, Sasuke," Hinata said taking his hand.

He would have loved to see her face. It was rather unfortunate that everything was going black…

.:.:.:.:.

Her laughter started softly, but gradually ended up ringing through the whole of the house. Sasuke remembered right there, why he'd fallen in love with such a woman and how she'd managed to change him without even wanting to. Her joy, her unabashed pure joy, made him smile.

"I'm glad you're finding my plight so amusing dear."

"I'm sorry," she gasped between laughs, "it's just…"

"Just what?"

"...just something I'd always secretly wanted to do one day."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

She calmed down.

"Yes, but since everyone in town knows about Father being a twin, it never occurred to me I'd actually get a chance to do it."

"Serves me right then," he smirked, playfulness apparent in his tone.

"Yes it does," she replied smugly.

While Hinata went back to memorizing her daughters' faces, Sasuke was memorizing the moment before him. She had no memory of their life together, but he could still see the woman he was so enamored with, and then some. She wasn't quite the same, but who really ever stayed the same anyway? He smiled.

 _She's more beautiful now than she's ever been._

She didn't know it yet, but there were slight flecks of gray in her hair, and the lines in her smile showed more prominently but to him, her age was just a reminder of how lucky he'd been to find her in the first place. She'd chosen him so many years ago and even now, when she didn't remember him, she chose him still.

"Hina?"

She looked at him contently.

"I'm glad you're home. I'm relieved you're safe. And...and if you never remember a single thing, it doesn't even matter. I'll remember for both of us. Just know how much I love you."

Her cheeks flushed and her eyes watery she said, "And I'm beginning to see what I saw in you eight years ago."

He smiled and leaned into her. She leaned into him. The tension in the air was thick and it propelled them toward each other. Their lips inches away from each other-

SLAM!

"PAPA! PAPA!"

Sasuke sighed in frustration.

"Asuka, there's no need to yell," he grumbled.

Hinata giggled at her put out husband.

 _Wait._

"Asuka?" she whispered, catching the attention of her husband once again.

"Yes and if I know Haruhi she'll be right on her tail."

"PAPA! Is Mama here! I SWEAR I saw her chakra! I KNOW I did!"

"Annnnd there she is." Sasuke smiled.

The two girls at the door looked madly around their home until they met the eyes of their father in the living room. He waved them over. They wasted no time bounding over to him and once their eyes caught sight of Hinata….

"MAMA!" They shouted in joyous unison and nearly knocked her over as they both went to hug her at the same time.

"Girls settle down your mother _just_ got released this morning. Be careful not to-"

"Sasuke, it's fine. They're just excited."

He rolled his eyes, "Some things never change," he mumbled, happily leaning back on the couch to watch the scene unfold.

As Asuka and Haruhi finally calmed down, the weight of the situation dawned on the girls and they both, overcome with emotion (not dissimilar to their mother's), buried their heads in her lap and cried.

Hinata needed no instruction. She gently stroked each head and whispered sweet affirmations to them. She didn't attempt to stop their crying, as some tears just had to be let out or else you'd drown in them.

Sasuke marveled at the scene and mostly, his wife. This morning, she didn't know they existed. Now, she hadn't missed a beat.

"It's alright," she whispered to them, "Mama's here now."

The quiet sobs of his daughters rang through his mind.

Sasuke Uchiha had never once let his emotions best him. He'd never cried for anyone, not his parents, not his brother. He didn't really even know what the sensation of crying felt like. So imagine his surprise when he felt his cheeks dampen. He raised his hand to his cheek to brush away the moisture.

These past weeks had been torture for him, not having her by his side. She was his partner, his equal, his companion. His lover. His best friend. She was the only one to ever see his darkness, embrace it and love him in spite of it. Not once had she forced him to be someone he wasn't nor did she ever expect anything more or less than what he was. His love was enough for her. _He_ was enough for her.

Sasuke rose from the couch.

Hinata looked at him curiously but he waved it off and motioned that he was going to the back yard for air.

She nodded.

 _She always understands...even when she doesn't remember._

As the sun set beyond the plum and cherry trees, he breathed in the fresh air deeply. The emotion, the rawness and purity of it all, was beginning to take its toll on him. No matter how much he'd wanted to join them in releasing everything he'd been feeling, he couldn't-not yet. He had to maintain his composure and focus, because if he let his guard down for a second, the bastards would strike again. And next time, he knew they wouldn't fail.

He still didn't know who was behind Hinata's attack. Hell, he wasn't even sure if Naruto believed him when he'd told him. But he'd not stand idly by and wait for a village who'd snuffed his clan out once, go and do it again.

 _Could it be the village?_

The darkness that he'd shaken off was returning. Not to stay. No. He wouldn't let his darkness mark his children. He'd only let it breathe and waft to fan the flames of revenge he'd snuffed out so long ago.

 _It seems they've forgotten who I am._

Weren't they lucky he was in the mood to remind them.

* * *

 **There you have it! What'd ya think? Let me know below. SO a tiny disclaimer of what I'm sure will be a cause for some concern...what happens when you combine the two bloodlines. Kishimoto-sensei is wise and knows much, and he's totally allowed to decide what happens... _in canon._ This, thankfully, is not canon. So Haru-chan gets to decide! I used a punent square and everything. ^_^ So before you send out the dogs on lil' ole me, remember science is a legitimate thing. And if you want to see my punent square, I can show you in a PM. :) **

**Have a wonderful night my lovelies, and be kind to yourselves.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Monday Lovelies! I hope your weekend was top notch and all that. At last, chapter five! This one is a special one to me. I've got some subtle (maybe not so subtle) references to other stories and authors I admire. But, mostly, I wrote this chapter for my own Mama and Papa. My Mama likes to tell me the story of when my brother and I were born so I may have taken some details from there. Of course, this is fiction...so take it for what it is. As always, I don't own Naruto or anything. Enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

"Sir," a gravelly voice cautiously whispered, "there may be a hitch in our plan."

A tall man with limbs as long as vines, turned silently in his seat.

"And why is that?" he answered.

The man's voice was dark and quiet. The gravelly man, intimidating in his own right, shrank in his place by the door.

"She is not dead, sir, I underestimated the offspring. It seems they are more formidable than I originally intended."

The man narrowed his eyes, stood from his seat and moved to the gravelly man. He had all the grace and all the horror of every child's nightmares.

"You mean to tell me," he paused placing a chakra charged fingertip to the gravelly man's temple, "two _children_ bested _you_?"

Gravelly man gulped, "Not bested, sir. I just...I just didn't anticipate their interference."

"They're females are they not?"

Another gulp.

"Yes."

"No more than eight, correct?"

Gravelly man nodded.

"There is no excuse for failure. The Hyuga should have been eliminated."

The gravelly man's eyes widened as the man's finger crackled and shot through his brain. Brain matter began to ooze from his ears as he slumped to the floor.

"AKARI!"

A small woman came out of the shadows.

"Yes sir?"  
"Clean this up," he demanded not looking at her.

"Yes sir."

The horror man moved to the opposite wall and pressed a white button on a well placed speaker.

"Uedo. Report to my laboratory."

Static. Crackle. Answer.

"Yes sir."

The young woman flew through signs, making her hands and arms glow like embers. The body of a man four times her size began to glow and turn into ash. Her eyes lit with orange focused more intently on the gravelly man's corpse. It burned bright for a minute until it turned completely to ash. Akari's features returned to normal and she retrieved a broom and dust pan. She swept the contents away. She returned to the small stool in the corner of the lab.

A man, bigger than gravelly man, strode into the laboratory toward the horror man. His left eye was covered by an eye patch while his pearlescent right eye, familiar to many Konohans, glimmered in the moonlight that shone through the window.

"I am here."

"Uedo," the horror man said without moving from his instruments, "I had hoped to collect the female specimens without your influence but it seems unlikely. Their... _parents_ " he cringed at the word, "have made things difficult."

He turned to the man.

"I expect you to succeed in bringing them to me."

The white eyed man nodded and grunted.

"You know where to find them. Go. Now."

Uedo turned on his heel and left the horror man and young woman to the night.

.:.:.:.:.

Hinata had never felt time before. She'd never been a party to how quickly or slowly it flowed. Now, she was acutely aware of how time moved. To her, it felt as if it were in the wind and trees, whispering to her to never blink, because she'd miss one more precious second with her family. A family that seemed too good to be true.

Sasuke cleared his throat bringing her focus to him, instead of the two sleeping girls in her lap.

"I see they've procured your lap as a pillow," he said leaning against the door frame.

She smiled.

"They just spent all their energy crying over me so it is the least I can do. Besides," she said running slim fingers through their hair, "I've missed so much already. Eight years is an eternity to them-their whole lives-"

"Technically you've only forgotten them for seven years."

He smirked.

"Regardless, I just feel like I can't afford to miss anything else. They need me…"

She remembered herself at seven years old. Her mother had been gone for two years and she was lost. Her father hated her, her sister was dependent on her and the Hyuga elders wanted to change her. It wasn't lost on her that her daughters could have been in the same place had she not woken up. Granted, she didn't believe Sasuke would ever treat them like her father had treated her but they'd be just as lost without her.

"...and I can't let them be without their mother."

Sasuke regarded her carefully.

"You're not going anywhere Hina," he said moving to her side and adjusting Haruhi so that she lay on his lap as well, "they just...they're very much like their mother when it comes to wearing their heart on their sleeve."

He smiled and ran his hand through her dark locks coming around to cup her cheek. She leaned into him.

"They have since the day they were born."

Hinata looked at her husband who had suddenly become wistful. He looked just past her, caught in a memory she didn't have. Her heart broke again. She sighed.

Sasuke returned to the present and his forlorn wife.

"You want to know what I was thinking about?"

She looked up at him through dewy eyelashes and nodded.

"I was just remembering the day they were born. It scared the shit out of me but it's one of the best days of my life."

"Really?" she whispered.

He smiled gently and said, "Of course, it is tied with the day we were married. I can't tell which is the best day because I wouldn't have one without the other."

"Could you tell me about it? The day they were born?"

"Sure, but beware," he said with a hint of a smile, "it was not my finest hour."

She giggled quietly.

"I'm sure the same could be said of every new father…"

"Yes," he sighed warily, "but not every new father had to take the measures I did. Besides, I do take everything to extremes only an Uchiha could…"

The look in his eye was of both joy and-if she were reading him correctly-anger with a hint of pain. Something deep inside her soul told her that the birth of their daughters hadn't gone as planned. Hinata steeled herself for what was to come.

"Tell me then."

He rested his arm on the back of the couch behind her head and pulled her closer to him. She adjusted Asuka on her lap and leaned into her husband's hold. She rested her head on his shoulder.

Sasuke wasn't sure how she'd take this one but he'd promised to not hold anything back.

 _I'd be a complete disaster without them._

He sighed and began to tell his wife the story of the night their daughters were born.

.:.:.:.:.

Sasuke Uchiha was a practical man. He'd known exactly what jutsu to use in every situation and his honing of the Sharingan afforded him the ability to store more than his fair share. Imagine his surprise and distress when presented with a situation he'd had absolutely no jutsu for….

He'd been sitting in their living room studying scrolls from the Uchiha archives trying to find any record of a child born with both dominant genes for the Byakugan and Sharingan. Science told him that both were dominant because Sasuke had been born of two strong Sharingan wielders. His mother had been his father's fifth cousin so she'd been born an Uchiha. Hinata was born to cousins (albeit closer than he'd like to think) as well. Her Byakugan was one of the purest, strongest in the Hyuga clan. As much as her hellbound family refused to admit it, her eyes were strong. He'd not been able to find anything-not one single piece of information-on the two clans mixing.

 _I guess that just goes to show you how segregated they had been._

They were sister clans, yet the only things mentioned on the Hyuga were observations on fighting styles, a rough outdated family tree, and the weaknesses shared between the two doujutsu.

He sighed in frustration and raked his hand through his hair. This was going to be a long night….

Hinata was in denial. Although, if you'd asked her, she would have denied she was in denial. That's how far deep she was in. She wouldn't be the first, and certainly not the last, new mother to deny the fact that her labor had begun.

 _The pains aren't even that str-_

She gasped and grabbed her stomach. She leaned into the kitchen counter silently counting the length and making note of the severity.

 _Thank kami he's distracted…_

She let the pain ride through her and then she began to pace once more. This would pass and then she'd go to sleep and everything would stay exactly as it-

"Holy shit!" she cried, gripping the counter again, her knuckles turning white.

She heard the scrolls clatter to the ground.

"Hinata! Are you alright?"

"I'm-"

SLOSH!

"-fine?" she said trying to avoid his gaze.

Her water broke. So much for denial.

"How long have you been this way?" he said taking her to their bedroom.

"Oh off and on for the better part of the day," she said, wincing.

"Hina…" he scolded.

"I know. I know. Stop looking at me like that!" she hissed, "auugh!"

Another pain racked her body.

Sasuke just stared at her. He was completely immobilized by the completely natural and normal occurrence of his wife going into labor.

"SASUKE!"

He didn't know how to handle this. Should he use his Sharingan? Should he set something on fire? A water jutsu perhaps? Anything would be better than him not knowing what to do.

"UH-RIGHT!"

He grabbed his wife by the shoulders, much to her shocked and irritated dismay, and used his Rinnegan to teleport them through several dimensions and eventually landing in the lobby of the Leaf's main hospital.

His wife had her Byakugan already active.

"Sasuke! The babies! You can't just _do_ that! What if-aaah!"

She gripped his shoulders as another pain wrecked through her body. Sasuke winced but dared not say anything because his pain was not nearly as bad as her pain.

"What in the Five Nations is going on in here!" Tsunade boomed into the waiting room.

Suddenly, and without warning, Sasuke Uchiha remembered he could speak.

"Tsunade! Do your damn job can't you see she's in labor?!"

Tsuande placed her hands on her hips, "Excuse me, Uchiha?" She cocked her eyebrow at the now practically hysterical man.

Hinata smacked her husband on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry Tsunade-sama, my husband has lost all sense-"

She doubled over in pain.

"SEE! DO SOMETHING!"

Tsunade sighed, "Of course I see Sasuke. Why don't you carry your wife and follow me."

Not once in his life had he been more willing to follow the command of someone in this goddamned village. Doing as she'd instructed, he picked up Hinata and followed the old woman in to a birthing suite.

"Lay her on the bed Uchiha. And I'd suggest you'd stay and offer your support."

The healer began to make preparations for the impending birth and began her initial examination of Hinata. She looked over her shoulder at the whispering nurses-one of whom possessed the same eyes as her patient-and immediately dismissed them.

"Leave," she commanded the two women, "NOW."

The nurses left in a quiet stupor and Tsunade went to lock the door behind him. The old medic turned and bid Sasuke to come to her side. The look in her eye booked no argument.

"What is it," he said shortly.

"I'd prepare yourself now, Sasuke," she said quietly so Hinata couldn't overhear, "I imagine the Hyuuga will be sending over their representatives in due time. Those nurses were part of the Hyuga clan and If I know that family-which I do-they're going to do their damndest to stake their claim on your children."

Sasuke's eyes immediately reflected the surge of fire and hatred he felt inside.

"If that fucking clan full of heartless bastards thinks they have _any_ right to my children-"

"They will think so and they've pulled off lesser feats. You have to be smart Uchiha. They can claim you both unfit if you attack in an enraged frenzy."

"AUGH!"

Both looked back at Hinata who'd gripped the bedrails for support.

"She needs you. I'll do all I can to help expedite the process so that she can recover at home. Unless your daughters need some sort of intervention, I don't want to risk the village burning to the ground because the Hyuga don't know how to let grudges go."

"Right."

The next few hours were a whirlwind that he couldn't really remember in great detail. He'd made it a point not to use his Sharingan until the moment of birth because he really didn't want to give anyone fuel to feed any claims the Hyuga would undoubtedly make. He could understand why the village had branded him a civilian and taken away his shinobi rights. He didn't, however, feel that they were justified in having Hinata share in his punishment simply because she chose him over her family.

"Sasuke," Hinata whimpered in between contractions, "remind me to never do this again."

"Okay darling," whispered, kissing her sweat laden forehead, "whatever you want. You're doing great, I'm right here."

"Okay Hinata," Tsunade boomed from her place from the foot of the bed, "give me one good push and you'll get to meet your first daughter."

"H-hai Tsunade-sama."

"AAAAH!" Hinata groaned with the power every mother doesn't realize she possesses-that is, until she's in the throes of childbirth.

"Good! Good girl!" Tsunade cheered.

A cry pierced through the room.

"Sasuke, is she alright? Go to her please..." Hinata asked breathily, exhausted.

He wasn't entirely sure what was moving him forward, as he'd known for a fact he'd lost all control of himself. Nevertheless, Sasuke went to his daughter. Tsunade had been working to clean up the baby girl and administer her first exam. Once satisfied with the infant, she handed the baby to her father.

"Here you go," she said quietly, "here's the future of your clan Uchiha."

Hesitantly, Sasuke accepted the small whimpering bundle and prayed to every god that would listen that he didn't hurt her. He didn't know what he'd been expecting fatherhood to be or feel like but once he looked down into the tiny black eyes of a little girl, he didn't give two shits about anything else.

"Hey there," he whispered to her.

Like magic, she'd settled into his arms and quieted at his voice.

"She knows who you are," Hinata said reverently, tears streaking her face.

"Yeah," he said, "she does."

He didn't deserve this. Not one bit of it. But he'd kill the first person who even looked like they'd try and take it from him.

"AUGH" Hinata cired, "Tsunade! The other one!"

"Alright Hinata. Give me another good push and your second daughter will be reunited with her sister."

Sasuke's gaze went from his daughter to his wife and back again. He didn't know where to focus his attention because they were both magnificently precious to him.

"Here we go!" Tsunade cheered again, pulling the second baby from its mother.

"Ah!" Hinata cried, finally relieved of her labor.

Tsunade whisked the infant to the warming box to conduct the proper examinations. Again, she found no cause for concern so she placed the quiet child in her mother's arms.

"Why is she not crying?" Hinata asked warily, fearing the worst.

Tsunade smiled, "My guess is because she knows her sister is loud enough for both of them."

Right on cue, the older girl cried.

Sasuke hated feeling so useless. It was times like these that he wished for someone to set on fire…

A knock on the door. A nurse entered.

"Excuse me, Tsunade-sama, Uchiha-san, but the Hyuga clan leader wishes to come in and see the babies."

Sasuke's Sharingan activated.

 _Speak of the devil and he shall appear._

"No."

"Excuse me Uchiha-san but they have an official document from the village elders. Um, they're quite persistent-"  
"Absolutely fucking not," Sasuke growled.

Hinata's eyes went wide. Her postpartum emotions ran the gamut: euphoria, fear at being a new mother, sadness at this world her daughters will inherit, but right now she felt two things- fear….and hatred. She'd resolved herself to indifference toward her father and her clan of birth. Now, however, she just wants to gentle fist Hiashi Hyuga into the next millenia.

Wait. She had to think. She'd often overheard Hyuga council meetings where they'd made their dubious plans but she'd always turned a blind eye. The irony of it was not lost on her. They wanted to fight dirty, well, she'd just have to tap into the power that she'd been born into.

Sasuke saw his wife's Byakugan from the corner of his eye. His confidence was bolstered by her resolve. He'd be dead before that Hyuga asshat ran off with his newborn daughters.

His eye glowed. The nurse trembled at her place by the door.

"T-tsunade-sama I-I am only the the messenger! Please!"

Tsunade moved from the bedside to the doorway. She eyed the Uchiha couple warily before ever so slightly nodding her affirmation.

"Tsunade! I WON'T let them near my family!"

"As is your right, Uchiha but I am obligated to accept any declarations from the village council."

"Like hell you are! I'll burn this whole fucking village to the ground! I'll-"  
"Sasuke," Hinata said calmly, icily, "let them come in."

"Hinata," he hissed, "they're trying to claim our daughters!"

"I'm more than familiar with the tactics of the Hyuga," she hissed in return, "trust me when I tell you that I _can_ and _will_ take care of this."

Through his Sharingan, he could see the chakra whipping around within her. He could see the tiny flickering heartbeats of the two girls. One who was silent in her mother's arms and the other who cried, albeit quietly as an infant could, in her father's.

He nodded his agreement. How could he not trust her?

"Let them pass Tsunade-sama," Hinata declared formally.

The medic stepped aside, taking the document from the Hyuga elder. She read over it and Sasuke had not missed the flare in her own chakra upon doing so.

The three Hyuga entered: Hiashi, and two nameless peons. More than likely sent to be his human shields. Hiashi Hyuga eyed the couple with a mixture of disgust and indifference.

"As you can see Tsunade, I am here to collect the offspring of my daughter and this…" he trailed off dismissing the fact that Sasuke was a person at all.

He continued: "They possess the pure Byakugan only passed through the genes of a main house member. As such, they fall under my jurisdiction."

Sasuke's eyes flared.

"You can't just come in here and-"

"Father, you're wrong."

Sasuke turned to his wife. Hiashi cocked an eyebrow at his daughter.

"Am I? I fail to see how."

Hinata cut her eyes to her father, Byakugan active, and a wicked smile gently placed where normal soft features were. She'd gone from the woman he loved and adored, to cold, calculating Hyuga heiress in under two seconds. It sent chills through him.

She stroked her daughters dark locks as she spoke to him.

"Look at their eyes. Both of _our_ daughters have not inherited a pure Byakugan. Honestly, it's just common sense."

The chill in the air was palpable. Let it be known, what fierce creatures women turn into when their children are threatened. The very soul that makes them who they has been split and poured into another tiny human. Such bonds are never severed and rarely forgotten.

Hiashi walked over to the baby in his daughter's arms. The baby blinked up at him with bright black eyes. Hiashi hissed.

"Tch, it is not certain the child's eyes will not form the Byakugan."

Hinata clucked her tongue, "Be that as it may, _Father,"_ she said, venom dripping off of every word, every syllable, "what I am certain of is that every Hyuga is born with the all seeing eye and able to wield it at birth should the infant chose to do so…"

Hiashi scoffed again.

"...however, I doubt my children even have it. It seems the Sharingan has overpowered the Byakugan in this case. As such, they fall under the jurisdiction of the only clan that has _ever_ wielded the Sharingan. Coincidentally, the clan of their birth: the Uchiha. I know how this will wound your pride, the clan's pride, so I do hope you'll forget about these children…"

"Unacceptable!" he bellowed, startling the babes.

Sasuke handed the other babe to her mother and Hinata shushed them both.

"...because if you refuse," she whispered, drawing the girls closer, "I _will_ provide Ibiki with free reign of all of my memories. I'm sure the Hokage will be happy to tie up some loose ends."

Hiashi Hyuga had hardly ever been matched, nonetheless beaten, by anyone in his life. Until now. If he weren't so outraged, he'd be downright proud.

"This is not the last of this Hinata-"

"I'd prefer you show _my wife_ the respect due to a Clan Matriarch. _Hiashi._ " Sasuke said, to add his support to his wife's demands.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes once more.

"Fine. This is not the last you have heard about this matter, _Uchiha-sama._ "

Hiashi stormed out of the room and his henchmen followed.

Once the door closed, Tsunade said:

"I'll rush your discharge papers. All three of you are healthy enough to recover at home. I'll send Sakura or Ino to do your checkups. You should be good to go within the hour. Until then, I will make sure Naruto stands at your door. He's been here chomping at the bit to know what's going on."

"I'd appreciate it Tsunade-sama, if you'd keep this to yourself."

"Keep what to myself, Hinata. I've just assisted your delivery of two beautiful baby girls and you're husband has requested to have you recover at home to avoid unnecessary attention."

"Thank you."

The healer left the new family to the silence of the room.

As soon as the door shut, Hinata exhaled and the tears began to flow. The sobs wrecked through her.

"S-s-sasuke…" she sobbed, "I thought...I thought…"

"Hey, hey," he said, coming to her side to comfort her, "it's alright. You were amazing. Today...you kicked ass. You brought our daughters into this world and AND you verbally bitch slapped Hiashi not even ten minutes after. You are...so amazing."

She hugged her babies tightly.

"I never thought I'd be able to stand up to him," she whispered, "but when he came in here...just demanding my- _our_ -babies...I just...I couldn't let him get away with it."

She sobbed more.

Sasuke sat there and let her cry. What else could he do? She'd been through more in the last hour than most people experience in a year.

Eventually, she quieted down and the new parents were now able to admire their small daughters.

How could two perfect beings exist in this world-in this village-he'd never be able to tell you.

"They have your eyes," she said softly.

"And your...everything else," he replied, gently kissing the top of her head.

"What should we call them?"

"At this point Hina, I'd let you name them Salad...you've more than earned naming rights." The smirk was evident in his voice.

"Hmm. Salad Uchiha? Does have a ring to it…"

"...I was kidding you know…"

She giggled.

"This one," she said handing the older twin to him, "will be Asuka*...for Neji...since she's our little bird who'll be able to soar one day."

"And this one," she said running her finger over the baby's forehead, "will be Haruhi."

"May I suggest the kanji to match yours my darling?"

She smiled and yawned.

"If you insist.." she mumbled, exhaustion finally consuming her.

He knew that his whole life had changed, that his entire being hinged upon the happiness of three women.

 _Oh what a sense of humor fate has…_

Once upon a time ago, he'd avoided every person of the female persuasion like a plague. Now, there's no place he'd rather be than in the good graces of his daughters and wife.

Asuka, as she'd now come to be known, lazily looked up at him. She squinted, because what newborn can see that far, and cooed.

 _Mine can. She's a genius._

He smiled down at her.

"Just you wait, Little Bird...I'm going to give you the world."

His daughter, barely an hour old, smiled her toothless smile, yawned and joined her sister and mother in the realm of dreams.

* * *

 **How'd you like it? I'm so thrilled you've all liked the story thus far and continue to leave those reviews! I'll answer questions from reviews in the next chapter. Remember to be kind to yourselves, lovelies. Hugs!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello** **again lovelies! I hope you're all having a fantastic time of life recently. If not, the year's still early yet, so there's always time to change or rewrite a few chapters. So in the last chapter, I forgot to mention why I chose the names I did for Asuka and Haruhi. I'm sure you all assume I chose Haruhi for my own amusement. Well...you'd be right. Haru is a rather special Japanese word/name for me for many reasons so I use it. Plus, it happens to make a particular troll infuriated with me so it's a double bonus. Anyway, back to my thoughts. Written in** _ **kanji**_ **(one of the three Japanese alphabets), their names can mean many different things but I chose for Asuka the spelling _飛 (asu)_ meaning "to fly" and _鳥 (ka)_ meaning "bird". As we all know, the Hyuga employ a 'caged bird seal' on their branch house members...well, they did in Naruto canonverse, not sure in the current (that which shall not be named canonverse-so so salty about that who Boruto situation). So going from what I know, this is how Hinata chooses to honor her cousin. Symbolizing his freedom through her Little Bird. Haruhi's name spelling I chose was _春 (shun,_ haru _)_ meaning "spring(time)" and _日 (_ jitsu _,_ nichi _, -ka, hi, -bi)_ meaning "day, sun." The 日 character is the same as Hina's kanji written name. So when Sasuke suggests spelling Haruhi with Hina's kanji, that's why. *THE MORE YOU KNOOOOOOOOW* I don't own Naruto but Asuka and Haruhi are my OC's so let's just let them see what they want to do with themselves, shall we? Read on lovelies! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

"And that's what happened," he finished.

Hinata was still absentmindedly twirling Asuka's hair through nimble fingers. She didn't immediately comment or look at him but what concerned him was the look she had about. The familiarity of pale eyes so keen to peacefully gaze, were narrowed with her mouth hard pressed into a thin line. Hinata was lost to her thoughts and they weren't pleasant ones.

 _If only I weren't so weak. Maybe then my daughters wouldn't be so concerned for my mortality._

Hinata didn't enjoy dwelling in darkness, in fact, she usually did everything in her power to avoid the dark thoughts and feelings that she could so easily succumb to, but today, she allowed herself a bit of darkness. She'd lost most of her memories and they were mostly of a life she already loved.

 _Plus,_ she reconciled, _as an Uchiha, I'm entitled to darkness every so often._

"You alright?" he asked.

Hinata turned toward her husband, refocusing attention on the present instead of the dark turn of her thoughts.

"Yes. I wish I could say his behavior surprises me but...it doesn't. He's been successful in nearly all of his endeavors, including the not so above board ones, so I can't see him just backing down like that. If he says the matter isn't resolved…"

Sasuke glowered.

"It's an ongoing pursuit, I'm afraid…"

Hinata narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"You're joking."

"I wish I were...every time the girls go into town, it's always something. They'd attempted a kidnapping when they were toddlers but Haruhi sensed the negative chakra grabbed Asuka and ran back to you in the crowd."

"And the Hokage? Kakashi-sensei just _lets_ the Hyuga clan do whatever they want? Surely, the village has stepped in…"

Sasuke sighed, "Kakashi isn't Hokage anymore. It's Naruto."

Her eyes widened in surprise. Sure, she'd believed in him as a kid, but the reality of the situation shocked her. How was this still happening? Certainly she was still considered a precious person to him? A friend?

"Seriously? And he just allows this?"

"It's a very, _very_ long story. And you have yet to sleep."

"I'm not tired. Being unconscious for that long will do that for you."

He smirked at her.

"At the very least," she said, indulging him, "the girls are tired. As much as I'd hate to let them out of my sight, I'm sure they're safe in their own room?"

Sasuke nodded, "Yes. I've got several shields and barriers in place. If anyone who doesn't have Uchiha DNA steps through it then all hell breaks loose."

She lowered her eyes.

"I don't have Uchiha DNA…"

His eyes twinkled with mischief and his smirk widened.

"No, but you've had some in there at some point," he said, gesturing with his free hand, "So you're safe to come and go as you please."

Hinata thought she would faint right then and there. Her eyes widened in shock and a new blush furiously bloomed over her cheeks.

Sasuke chuckled.

"Relax," he said, rising from the sofa and lifting Haruhi into his arms, "what I meant was, you were pregnant with our daughters. Hence: Uchiha DNA. And people were worried I would corrupt you...how times have changed. Maybe they should've been worried about _me_ being corrupted by _you._ "

"Oh shut up," she huffed, crossing her arms, all signs of embarrassment washed away.

He laughed a deep belly laugh and the sound caught her off-guard. It was one of the most beautiful sounds she'd ever heard. Like rain on a tin roof during summer evenings. It warmed her to the depths of her soul. She smiled at him.

"I'll be back for Ka-chan, Hina." His laughter could still be heard in the hallway.

With that, Hinata was left to her thoughts once more.

She sighed. Would she ever be able to find peace for her girls? Would they never live a normal life? She didn't notice her husband come back into the room.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, lifting Asuka off her mother's lap, "as much as I've tried to change history, the Uchiha never seem to have an easy go of things."

He looked dejected as he held their daughter close to him.

Hinata studied him intently. He blamed himself and she guessed it was a habit of his, taken on from a lifetime of pain. She just couldn't see how could this man could be at the head of so much bad fortune. Surely the gods were bound to take pity on him? Besides, it's not his fault their daughters are targeted. This time it was her clan that had been at the root of the evil. She would see to it that her father was held accountable for his actions.

Sasuke sighed drawing her attention back to him. He turned to leave but stopped when he heard her soft voice.

"Don't do that," she said with a gentle smile, placing a hand on his arm, "we're in this together and no matter who or what comes we'll handle it as a team. Sasuke, regardless of what you make think, _you_ are good...and you don't give yourself enough credit for it."

Sasuke knew he'd been lucky once in his life to have such a woman fall in love with him. Now, it seemed, that perhaps he'd been fortunate enough to have the same woman fall in love with him all over again. At least...he hoped she would. Even if it was only the start of love, he'd nurture it and pull out all the weeds for it to flourish and grow.

He smiled a genuine smile.

"Go and get her to bed and then we can talk some more. That is, if you're up to it?"

He nodded and went to put their daughter to bed. In what seemed like no time at all, he returned with a wicked smile on his face.

"Now that they're in bed," he said, scooping her up in a swift motion, "why don't we see to it that you're comfortable."

"I-I-I'm q-quite comfortable on on th-the sofa."

She found it hard to think when he was so close to her. His smell, his warmth overwhelmed her senses.

"Nope, you're going to rest in _our_ bed. If I recall correctly, and I do, it was you who told me I'd have my balls on a stake if I didn't upgrade the mattress before your pregnancy ended. And you, my dear, have used a similar statement every two years since. That Hyuga training of yours seems to have provided you with hedonistic sensibilities."

If he didn't know his wife as _intimately_ as he did, he may have confused the veins protruding from her forehead as her Byakugan. Needless to say, it was _not_ her Byakugan.

"Sasuke! I do not have hedonistic tendencies!"

"Of course not dear," he laughed.

"I most certainly-"

Before she could completely process what was happening, Sasuke was already well on his way wielding his full arsenal of seduction tactics. Oh how he would nurture his garden. His mouth covered her own and their lips moved together in reclaimed newness.

She _should_ feel more than embarrassed about this but she didn't. It felt...familiar, but new all the same time. It felt safe. And damn did it feel good. Even if she didn't want to, her body took hold of the familiarity and she melted into him.

He broke their kiss and gently pecked her forehead.

 _He's evil,_ she thought, flustered.

"Now, let's get you to bed, and we can talk about whatever you want."

"Okay."

Carrying his dazed wife gingerly in his arms, Sasuke led them into a large room at the rear of the house. In the center, and its most prominent feature, was a large bed. It was layered with quilts and duvets. Pillows adorned nearly half of the bed and the coverings just _looked_ opulent. He set his wife gently down in the center of the bed where she promptly sunk into the soft feather pillows and memory foam. She sighed in contentment.

"As I said, hedonistic."

His smirk would be the death of her but she didn't care right now. What she cared about was taking in this gorgeous bedroom. The furniture were all antique but not anything too luxurious; it was all well worn and cared for. The bathroom and closet both flanked the bed and just on the far wall were more of the floor to ceiling windows she found herself falling more and more in love with. She could see the whole of their property from those windows and she couldn't get enough of the wild, but tamed, gardens she saw through them.

Sasuke laid across the foot of their bed, facing Hinata. He remained quiet, allowing her to soak in the serenity and sanctuary that they'd come to adore in their home. Finally, she acknowledged him.

As much as she wanted to bask in her surroundings and stay in their perfect Uchiha bubble, she couldn't. If her daughters were going to have a better future than their ancestors did, she'd have to be proactive and she needed Sasuke and his- _their-_ memories to do so.

"Tell me why Naruto won't do anything about our girls' being targeted by my father's clan."

He sighed.

"Sasuke, I know you think I'm fragile but-"

"Hina," he said, placing a hand on her knee, "I meant it when I said I'd tell you everything. Like I said before, it's a very long story but it seems we have nothing but time."

His smirk returned and he kissed her where his hand once had been. Her blush flared but she wouldn't be distracted.

"Sasuke-"  
"Fine, fine. There'll be plenty of time for other... _activities."_

She may just die of circulation issues.

"Now," he started, "when we met, Naruto was unofficially training to be Kakashi's replacement and when Tsunade stepped down, her aide went with her."

"Shizune-senpai?"

"Yes. The natural replacement would have been Shikamaru, for obvious reasons, but he was off wooing that girl from the Sand."

"Temari-san?"

"Sure. I'm not good with names."

She giggled, "Continue please."

He nodded and began to rub her feet. She sighed in contentment and leaned into the very, _very_ soft pillows.

"Anyway, that left a handful of candidates. For whatever reason, Sakura's name came up. So she took the job. I thought she wanted to replace Tsunade but whatever, it's her life."

Hinata nodded, taking it all in.

"So Sakura and Naruto ended up spending a lot more time together. More than they ever had before and it was one of those situations where they'd not seen what was right in front of them and all that. Apparently one thing led to another and they ended up sleeping together a couple of times. Eventually, they ended up in a similar situation to our own."  
Hinata's eyes widened.

"They got pregnant? Before us?"  
He laughed, "I wasn't aware it was a race, my dear, but yes, they did. Although I'd say we won that race in the quantity _and_ quality department."

He was smug. She couldn't blame him, their daughters were more amazing than she'd ever dreamed. He had every right to be smug.

"So they're married then?"

His eyes darkened, "No. Not married. They're together sure, but she won't commit to him."  
She looked to her husband confused, "...but they have a child together? How much more committed can you get?"  
His face went from unpleasant darkness to mirth.

"You seem to be repeating yourself a lot today."

She rolled her eyes.

"Just keep going," she said throwing a pillow at him. He gracefully dodged her attack.

"So she won't marry him and they have four children together."  
"FOUR!?"

"Yep. She goes through these phases were she loves him, they are together all the time and then they're not. Usually when she finds out she's expecting. Although, I guess this is their fifth…"

"Wow."

"That's not even the worst of it, darling."

"Dare I ask?"  
"Sakura is still _delusionally_ under the impression that she and I are destined to be together. I am constantly having to remind her I am more than happy and satisfied with my family."  
Hinata's gaze hardened.

 _Sakura._

"What does all this have to do with the girls' safety?" she said icily.

He nodded again, "That's the thing, in her twisted mind, if our children are gone, then you'll leave me. I'll have no one-no one but her-to turn to. So she uses her influence to get Naruto to turn a blind eye to the Hyuga. He's so in love with her that he doesn't care how sick the reasoning is, if she'll "love" him and pay attention to him, then he'll do whatever she asks."

"So he just ignores that two _innocent_ little girls are being targeted by an ENTIRE CLAN for Kami knows what reason!"

Sasuke sighed, "That's the long and the short of it. I've approached him about it several times, as both a friend and enemy and he denies any knowledge of the girls' being attacked. He _assures_ me that he has ANBU watching over them. Tch," he scoffed, "probably the same ANBU who watched _him_ get pulverized by angry mobs as a kid." Sasuke's Sharingan activated.

Hinata placed her hand over his own on her foot.

"And I assume my father is happy to exploit this whole situation?"

"Hn," he agreed.

"And there's nothing we can do about it?"

"Basically," he sighed.

"Because….."

"Because we're both _officially_ civilians. Meaning we're not allowed chakra or doujutsu usage anywhere but here. So we can only use brute strength and that's just not enough to counter a hundred Byakugan users and a whole village of Shinobi turning a blind eye."

She sat in silence for a moment.

"What would happen if we broke that rule?"

He regarded her carefully before answering.

"To be frank, I'm not sure. I've not considered it for a very long time but I imagine a similar sentence still stands."

"And that is?"

"Before our family, I would be...eliminated. Either by the seal on my Sharingan, or by Naruto. Most likely, the seal as the idiot would never have agreed to kill me at the time. Now...I'm almost positive you'd be killed or enslaved to your clan along with our girls. Sakura would not let me be killed I know that much but I can't say what would happen to me. You three," he said quietly, "would be taken from me and I'd not be able to see you again."

"But you're more powerful than the whole of this village combined. Why couldn't you just use one big attack?"  
He smiles, "Your confidence in me is, as always, one of the reasons I love you so very much. But," he sighed, "there's a limiter underwritten in the seal. If my chakra goes beyond what the council considers normal for village parameters, it automatically self-destructs and takes my brain along with it. The only way I don't turn into a squashed tomato, is if the current Hokage either removes the seal entirely or unlocks the seal for missionary use."

The two sat in silence for a long moment.

"Do the girls know? About my father?"

He nodded, "Yeah, we told them to protect them. They know not to trust anyone from the village except a specific few."  
"Can they…"

"Use chakra? Sure. But they can't wield it until they're enrolled in the Academy. Which seems like an easy enough fix, except the council refuses to grant them admission."  
Hinata's chakra flared and her Byakugan activated. This was getting ridiculous.

"Why." she demanded.

"Because no one can be sure they won't attack the village. There's no actual record of a mixing of the bloodlines before and no one wants to see what they can do with other kids around. _Especially_ Sakura. She's convinced the idiot that Asuka and Haruhi will give into the "Uchiha curse" and go crazy on their children in revenge. Revenge for what? I have no clue. Then she's put it in his head they'll destroy the village. Even if that was a possibility, which it _isn't_ considering how our girls are, I wouldn't blame them. They're targeted, attacked and restrained in their own village. What the hell does the counsel expect from them? Blind loyalty? Tch. Sakura has found Naruto's Achilles heel and it just so happens to be the two dangly bits between his legs."

Sasuke was practically spitting fire. Hinata would be if she had a fire affinity.

"Can they use their doujutsu? Either of them?"

He smiled, "The Byakugan yes, but I haven't seen either of them awaken their Sharingan."

"And that's a good thing?"

"Hina," he began softly, "you probably don't remember so I'll ask. Are you familiar with how an Uchiha awakens their Sharingan?"

She shook her head.

"They have to experience a traumatic event to do so...mine awakened when I watched Itachi…"

"I understand."

He sat quietly for a moment.

"I can't say that it didn't awaken after your accident though."

"Why's that?"

"They saw what happened. Both girls acted immediately, as if they'd known what to do and expect. After you'd been taken to the hospital, that's when I saw the two little girls that were concerned and missed their mother."

Her heart dropped into her stomach and her face drained of color.

"Th-they did?"  
He nodded, "But neither of them will talk about it. They're quite stubborn when they want to be."

He smiled again, "Much like their mother in that regard."

She smiled in return.

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"Perhaps we can train the girls ourselves. You did graduate first in our class at the Academy. I was second. I think we could manage."  
He looked her over intently.

"What?" she asked suddenly self-conscious.

"Oh...nothing. It's just...you said the very same thing to me before your accident. _Right_ before your accident. We'd agreed to train them at home-a home school of sorts-and see if I couldn't coax their Sharingans awake without the trauma. It'd never been done before so we'd come up with a couple of ideas…."

She smiled at him.

"Of course we did." She yawned.

"On that note, we'll start tomorrow."

She leaned into the pillows and patted the side next to her. Sasuke came to lay next to her.

"Only if you promise we'll do it together," she whispered sleepily, her eyelids heavy.

He kissed her forehead, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Sasuke pulled his wife into his arms and listened to her breathing even out. Before he even realized it, he was fast asleep with his wife in his arms.

* * *

 **Voila! Chapter six in the books. I do hope you all enjoyed it and I'm going to try and finish up the next chapter here soon. I've been hit with the flu and it's just loving to keep me down. Anyway, I hope you all embrace the next week with fresh eyes and full hearts. Also, be kind to yourselves lovelies. Hugs!**


	7. Chapter 7

**LOVELIES. You are all so kind. I read the reviews and I'm just...blown away but how generous you all are with your words. I sincerely appreciate it and I welcome your feedback. Thank you for taking the time to read and review. It really means a lot to me. This chapter was more of a spur-of-the-moment kinda thing. I thought it'd be kinda funny and another warm fuzzy before the drama kicks in. Chapter 8 will be when sh** gets real, y'all. Although, I'm not very confident in my drama writing so be patient with me as I do my best. Don't worry, Sasuke-kun will get his moment of darkness...Lovelies, feel free to skip this next part because I'm just so...so... _enamored_ with a guest reviewer that I couldn't take the chance of someone else seeing his _glowing review_. Feel free to skip it. **

**Now. To the sweet, sweet person who took all that time to give me _such_ _constructive_ criticism. You're a doll. No really. It may astound you as I am often flabbergasted by the fact but I have my very own set of twins so that kinda makes your comment about being a virgin unrealistic. I'm flattered that you find me in the highest regard of sainthood, alas, I'm not. I got my twins the old fashioned way. Much like SASUKE and HINATA did in my story. :) Funny how biology works...I know. I** **t's quite astonishing to me too. As much as I'd like to grant your request and to (I shall paraphrase because I just can't say it quite like you did) rid my mother of her mistake of a child...I cannot. My Mama reads my stories and I share your reviews with her via screenshots. She's quite amused and commends you on your colorful use of colloquial English. Did I mention that I'm also a twin, dear heart? Because my Nii-san also reads these and, while his commentary on your profuse language is not safe for my darling lovelies, I can assure you he was likewise amused. Don't get me started on my Papa...he's just too much sometimes...Oh, did I use too many words kind sir? I apologize.**

 **NOW. For my lovelies, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

She woke to sounds of shushing and giggles. She woke to her husband's light breathing gently moving the bangs on her forehead. She woke to an open window and birds singing. She woke to a life she didn't remember but she already loved.

Hinata smiled and moved very quietly to see Sasuke's face better. She hummed slightly in satisfaction when he didn't wake. The sunlight shone into their bedroom and on to his face. He looked so peaceful, so calm when he slept freely and deeply like this. His features were perfect. Well, nearly perfect except for that tiny scar. She brushed away his bangs to examine his forehead closer. Behind them, she expected to see a small scar, instead, she found...nothing. Where the tiny blemish had been, it was clear.

 _What the heck?_

She activated her Byakugan and almost instantly her eyes widened in revelation. There, just behind his forehead and right on top of his brain, sat a seal. Nothing compared to the delicately and masterfully created Hyuga branch seal, but cruder and hurried. This wasn't the craftsmanship she knew to be Tsunade's. It was...flawed and somehow familiar. If only she could place where she'd seen something similar…

"Are you looking at Papa's seal?" Haruhi whispered, propping her head on Hinata's side.

"We try to sneak looks at it," Asuka added while joining her sister, "but he won't let us."

Hinata giggled.

"So you two like to be sneaky, huh?"

The girls looked at one another, blushed and then giggled in perfect unison. If Hinata weren't diabetic before, she might just be now.

"We just w-want to to help Papa," Asuka whispered.

Haruhi placed her hand on her sister's shoulder, "We will Ka-chan. Mama will help us! Right Mama?"

"Mama will help you with what exactly?" Sasuke said, waking up fully.

"NOTHING PAPA," the girls chanted and ran into the kitchen in fits of giggles and glee.

Sasuke shook his head and propped his face on his hand to look at his wife. She blushed madly.

"Y-you really h-have to stop l-looking at me like that."

"Why?" he asked, "Aren't I allowed to admire my beautiful wife and thank my lucky stars she still puts up with me?"

Hinata giggled, "I suppose that's acceptable."

He smirked and then his smile faded.

"Don't let those girls talk you into a lost cause."

"What do you mean?"

"This seal," he said tapping the spot on his forehead, "is my cross to bear. I'll not have you three risk your lives for my sake."

"How would it risky for us, Sasuke? You're the one who has a brain seal. A really poorly done brain seal at that…"

"Just don't," he spat.

She stopped moving. She stopped breathing.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I didn't m-mean-"

"Hina," he sighed, "I should apologize. I have no right to be angry. It's my own fault for receiving it in the first place. Just promise me you won't do anything about it."

"Sasuke, I don't know if I can…"

"Hina, please…"

She didn't miss the way his voice broke slightly.

"For now, I'll let it be."

He sighed, "People think I'm the most stubborn Uchiha in the village…"

She wrinkled her nose and playfully swat him on the shoulder. Laughing, he leaned in and kissed her.

"Good morning," he whispered in her ear huskily.

 _Sweet Kami-sama._

Jello. That's what she was. Diabetic jello. And it was all their fault. All these Uchiha who loved her furiously and with no regret. Where the Hyuga were cold and reserved, the Uchiha were the polar opposite. Quite literally. Their passion burned as white-hot as their anger.

Hinata arched an eyebrow and absentmindedly began chewing her fingernail in concentration.

"I know that look," Sasuke said getting out of bed, "you're thinking big thoughts Uchiha-san. Care to share with the class?" He leaned on the frame of the bathroom door, still clad in what he'd worn the day before.

"Well," she started hesitantly, "You said we could train the girls, ne?"

"...Yes, I did say that."

"I th-think I may have come up with a solution to Sharingan awakening. Well, it's more theory but if I'm right then, this could change a lot."

"Go on."

"The Sharingan is tied to very strong emotion, yes?"

"That's right. In the past, it's been anger to trigger its awakening. I'm not sure if you've noticed," he said offering a hand to help her out of bed, "but we're easily angered."

"I never would've guessed," she countered.

She slowly stood and made her way to the closet she'd seen yesterday with her husband trailing close behind.

"All of your clothes should fit. You'd recently done a closet clean out before the accident. I'll give you some privacy to change and then we can discuss their training over breakfast."

She glanced over her shoulder at him quizzically.

"With the girls there?"  
He smiled gently, "Of course. This does regard them and…" he trailed off.

"Go on," she said, mimicking his tone from earlier.

"We'd promised each other that we wouldn't raise them with the secrets and lies of our own childhoods. If it's something that won't be detrimental to them emotionally or physically, we include them in the discussion. They're smart and...often come up with better solutions than we do."

His smile stretched to his eyes and softened his entire face. She turned to face him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"That is perfect. Thank you for remembering."

He closed his eyes and leaned into her hold.

"Anytime," he whispered.

The pair stayed this way for a moment, both enjoying the touch of the other.

"I should change," she said quietly.

"I'll be out here when you're done."

She nodded and proceeded to look through old clothes with new eyes. Her hands trailed along each of the garments, relishing both the simplicity and comfort of the fabrics. She'd been well outfitted and most of her clothes were reflective of this stage of life. Long, flowy skirts and comfortable t-shirts and sweaters. Pants and shorts. Dresses and then, in a small corner of the closet near the back, were the formal wear. She felt guilty snooping, but instantly felt silly because these were her things!

She still hadn't remembered anymore but she also was beginning to realize that this life was becoming less and less foreign to her. It was more about her feelings than actual memories. Hinata had felt the 'rightness' of it all and that led to her own acceptance of the fact that this was her life now. And she could see why she had made those decisions long ago. She exhaled and began to examine the clothing. Her fingers traced intricately stitched patterns over silks and satins. Fabrics that seemingly would cost quite a bit, but knowing her husband, she hadn't been surprised at his indulgence. Her eyes were drawn to a garment bag behind the bright greens, navy blues and reds. She pulled it out and gingerly unzipped it to reveal the most beautiful silk kimono she had ever seen.

"Oh Kami-sama," she whispered, "this is gorgeous."

Her fingers danced over the beading and elegant stitching, but what took her breath away, was the color of the silk. It was an antique white with lavender undertones. The threads were all different shades of the palest purples and blues, shades she didn't even know existed. The stitching was all handmade, revealing different scenes of cherry blossoms and koi fish, all gathering to accentuate the Uchiha crest stitched predominantly on the back. There weren't flashy colors. There was nothing pretentious about this kimono but she felt the tears before her brain registered them. Instinctively, she knew, she'd found her wedding kimono. She stared reverently, quietly, finally zipping up the bag and putting it back in its spot for safe-keeping.

Eventually, she found a skirt ensemble she knew would be comfortable and dressed for the day. Next to the full-length mirror at the back of the closet, stood a dresser with various drawers and accessories. She searched through the chest until she found the brush her mother had used and given to her as a child. She smiled as she cradled the trinket, now taking on a whole new fondness. Soon, she'd be able to give the brush and combs to her own daughters.

Sighing wistfully, she began the task of brushing her hair and, for the first time since she'd woken up, took note of what she looked like now. She'd aged for sure, but she didn't hate what she saw. In fact, she was in awe of it. Her skin was still clear, but there were wrinkles at the corner of her eyes and forehead. Her hair shimmered with the tiniest flecks of silver, her wisdom coming through as it were. Her hips were wider, showing the obvious signs that she'd carried and birthed children. She ran her hand over her stomach, feeling the tell-tale markings that her skin had been pushed to its limits to allow her body to be home to the two most precious things in her life. Her hand continued to smooth the shirt over her abdomen.

"Why won't this go flat?" she whispered, frustration creeping into the edges of her voice.

She pulled off the shirt and flung it to the floor. Clad only in her bra and skirt, she attempted to find another shirt that may feel a bit more comfortable.

This process repeated itself three times. Each shirt had proven less comfortable than the last.

"I thought these were supposed to fit!" she hissed, unconsciously activating her Byakugan. She exhaled a long breath to calm her nerves, blowing her bangs in the process. Hinata looked at her reflection…

...and nearly fainted.

Her eyes widened in shock. Her body began trembling. The room started spinning.

"S-S-SASUKE!" she yelled.

Faster than the lightning he wielded, he was by her side just in time to catch her before she fell.

"What! What is it Hina!" he asked, frantic with worry.

Asuka and Haruhi, having heard their mother's scream, came running in behind their father, twin Byakugans active.

Both girls were worried and didn't know quite what to do. The family stared at their shared reflection in the oversized stand-up mirror, just in time for Sasuke to watch his twin daughters' eyes become as wide as their mothers. Had it not been so frustrating for him to not know what was happening before him, he would have deemed it cute.

"What in the hell is going on!" he demanded, Sharingan activating.

"S-Sasuke," she whispered, leaning into him more, "l-look."

Hinata pointed to her own reflection's core. His eyes drifted warily to where her finger led and there nestled in a familiar place, was the tiniest ball of chakra he'd ever seen. Separate from Hinata's, a different color entirely, it pulsed and glowed as if relishing the moment of attention.

"Mama?" Asuka asked cautiously, "d-does th-that mean…"

"...we're getting the little brother we asked for?" Haruhi finished.

Sasuke was the first to deactivate his eyes.

"I think it means that Tsunade is getting old," he sighed leading his wife to their bed. He sat her down then perched next to her squeezing the bridge of his nose. She looked over to her husband.

"You're unhappy," she whispered, more statement than a question, lowering her gaze to the rug. His gaze snapped up to her.

"Absolutely not," he said, drawing her eyes to his, "I'm beyond thrilled. I'm...annoyed that the old lady didn't catch it but I suppose there were other pressing matters."

The girls quietly filed from the closet sitting cross-legged in front of their parents.

"Papa?"

Hinata and Sasuke turned their gaze to the two girls.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Is this bad?"

"Well, Little Bird, it's just-"  
"No, sweetheart, it's not bad," Hinata cut him off, putting a hand on his shoulder, "it's a very, very good thing."

The girls looked to their father who nodded in affirmation and then back to their mother again. Huge grins broke over their faces and they began to giggle.

"I TOLD YOU SO KA-CHAN!"

"I know, I know, Haru-chan, but I can't feel the same things you can so it's not a fair bet. Right Mama? She can't bet me my desserts if I can't feel chakra like her!"

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at his daughters.

"Oh did she? And when did you strike this bet Haruhi?"

"Uhm...well, see, uhm it's funny really…"

"Uh huh, sure it is."

"You knew?" Hinata asked quietly.

"Uhm, yeah...kinda. I didn't know for real until just now, but uhm, I felt the other chakra. It confused me but now I know. I'm sorry Mama, are you mad?"

Haruhi looked up at Hinata with the largest, saddest eyes she'd ever seen. Hinata smiled and motioned for her daughter to come to her. Obeying, Haruhi came to her mother, tears threatening to spill over. Hinata pulled the child to her and sat her on her lap.

"Of course I'm not mad, sweetie. I was surprised, because, well...I just don't remember wanting another baby."

The little girl looked at the floor.

"You didn't remember me either…" she whispered.

Hinata's heart broke at her daughter's words. Haruhi had seemed to be the stronger of the two, the one to take more after her father's personality. Now, she showed her age and the fact that she was still a little girl who needed her mother. That was a feeling Hinata knew all too well.

"But I do now," she said, raising Haruhi's chin with a finger and wiping her tears, "and I won't ever forget you again. I promise."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Haruhi's eyes widened in surprise.

"Mama," she gasped lightly, "You said it!"

Hinata's smiled faltered a bit in favor of confusion.

"Said what exactly?"

Sasuke chuckled, "You told her, 'really really'. Haru-chan used to question everything and everyone after the incident in town. So, she'd ask if they were 'really, really…' whatever. You always answered her, 'really, really.' You remembered how to comfort her and she's beside herself."

He gestured to the fidgety, bouncy girl in her mother's lap.

"Mama! You remember me!"

Hinata smiled softly and fought back the tears that always seemed to want to spill over.

"I'll always remember my Haru-chan and Little Bird. No matter what happens next, and no matter who this new baby," she moved her hand lovingly to her stomach, "turns out to be, I'll always remember my most precious people."

She turned to Sasuke.

"I promise."

In her eyes, he saw his past. He saw his daughters. He saw their future. He also saw the bastards who'd tried to kill his wife and now, his child.

He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"And we'll remember enough for you, Hina."

The two girls nodded in solemn agreement.

.:.:.:.:.

The four Uchiha sat together quietly discussing the plans of the future. Had they known that two eyes, veins enlarged, Sharingan activated, stared into their window that day, things would have taken a much different turn. But they didn't. The intruder simply watched and allowed his hatred, anger, and jealousy to fester and burn until his Sharingan whirred even faster than before. It wouldn't be long now until he'd be able to exact his master's bidding and he'd finally have those two brats for his collection. Too bad the third one was going to have to be collateral damage. Tch. Such a waste of genetics. The man sighed and leaned back on the branch and continued to watch his prey.

* * *

 **How was it? Let me know...review! Please be kind to yourselves, Lovelies. Next chapter will be out soon. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello my Lovelies! I'm back for another chapter and let me tell you, it's been quite the time getting this one done. It's fighting with me. You see, I know where I want it to go and for the most part, the chapters flow in such a way to reach my end game. Even still, they like to be stubborn. Chapter 8 was stubborn. Anyhow, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me and I'm going to try and address some of the questions now.**

 **Shikara** **Gizzel: You're question shall be addressed here. ;)**

 **DAngel7: Sasuke does seem OOC for most of the story and that's because...well he is. I like writing Sasuke with some depth to him, other than his normal emotionally stunted character. He suffered a lot during childhood and adolescence and, while those characteristics still remain, they're not as prominent. When Hina loved and accepted him unconditionally, he was changed. As we all are when we find the one to whom our soul sings. Sasuke's Soul Singer is Hinata. Hence the vulnerability and softness. If you miss angsty Sasuke-kun, no worries, he's ramping up for a big show at the end here. Thanks for reading and reviewing! :) I love your feedback! **

**pro- uchiha: Wowzers. You're review game is strong. :) THANKS! Here's some answers for you...I don't think I write steamy scenes very well but if the pair are going to be intimate...maybe...if it happens, it happens. The story just does what it wants sometimes and Sasuke-kun is a very...passionate person so maybe? We'll see...;) In regards to them sounding 50...I imagine being a ninja is akin to being in the military and so they've been highly trained and seen some stuff throughout their lives. So all the 'youth' has been trained out of them. I just turned 30 this year and I don't find their vernacular all that old...then again, I'm not out and about with hip crowd...as you can all probably tell. HA!**

 **Which leads me to this note: I'm pulling from my own experience when writing this. I'm 30, married to a Soldier and have kids. So everything I know about this kinda stuff comes from how I've dealt with situations personally. There's heavy stuff in this story and I can say with some degree of sadness that it comes from bits of experiences.**

 **A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Triggering events are mentioned in this chapter, so proceed with caution. I DON'T own Naruto or any of its characters.**

 **Read on lovelies. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

Sasuke Uchiha liked to say that in all the ways he was cold and hateful, his wife was warm and kind. His girls never understood this as he was always such a loving and doting Papa to them. So it surprised Asuka and Haruhi Uchiha when their Papa displayed his supreme displeasure with the Konohaan medical system and a certain pink-haired medical ninja.

"Sasuke I had no reason to look-"

"Unacceptable!" he growled, "I requested a full examination when she was brought in, so _of course_ you had reason to look for pregnancy. Very few people in this village are capable of coherent, intelligent thoughts. I believed despite our differences, you'd be professional and help save my family. I can see now that was foolish on my part. It _won't_ happen again."

"Sasuke," Hinata whispered, placing a hand on his arm trying to soothe his frustration, "the girls...you're making them nervous."

He put his hand over hers and the exhaled heavily, nodding, "Get Tsunade and just leave us be."

"I'm sure I can handle things better now," Sakura said, rubbing a hand over her own enlarged stomach, "right, Hina?"

Hinata's eyes narrowed slightly, only noticeable by her husband who gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She couldn't tell if _this_ Sakura was trustworthy and as much as she wanted to believe in her, something in her soul just couldn't shake the bad feeling surrounding the pink-haired woman.

"I-I'd appreciate Tsunade's opinion on this."

Sakura grit her teeth, "I assure you there's not much I haven't seen. She left this department to me for a reason-"  
"And I've requested to see the woman who delivered my daughters. Is it not my right, as a civilian, to request my preference in medical care?"

Hinata's eyes had now taken a fiercer appearance, glowing with frustration and a bit of anger. It hadn't been very often in her life that she'd felt such disdain for one person, particularly someone she considered a close friend. Sasuke had done his due diligence in explaining their life to her as fairly as he could. She had to trust his judgement of the situation, not because she wanted to yield to him but because, in the short time she'd be with him and her family, it was evident that she and their daughters were his priority. She could feel Asuka and Haruhi scoot closer to her and each hug one of her arms.

"Mama, her chakra feels weird," Haruhi whispered, "I don't like it."  
Asuka just pulled herself closer to her mother.

"Sakura," Sasuke said cooly, "get Tsunade. Now."

The pregnant medic slammed the charts down on the counter making the three Uchiha women jump. She flung open the door and before leaving she spun on her heel, pointing her finger at Hinata and her children.

" _Just_ because I love Sas-" she stopped abruptly and changed her phrasing, "because I _am_ pregnant, I will honor this request. I have no desire to have my child harmed because of a few outcasts."

She turned her icy green eyes to the twins.

"No matter how hard you try or how much you think you fit in, you never will. Your parents made sure of that the day they decided to ruin everyone's lives."

Sasuke could feel the anger bubbling in his blood, causing his veins to vibrate with anticipation. Hinata felt something snap deep within her. She would never possess or wield a Sharingan but she was seeing red at that moment. Both parents were in subconscious agreement: restrictions be damned, she was not going to speak to their daughters that way.

"I want _you_ to know something Haruno-san," Hinata spat, standing up so quickly and without warning that her daughters didn't have time to register the movement. She put her own finger in Sakura's face.

" _JUST_ because you have taken it upon yourself to play some sort of victim does not entitle you to take free reign over every situation. _No_ amount of history grants you permission to take other people's husbands. And _JUST_ so we're clear, he doesn't want you. He never has. . Pine all you want for him, you'll never have him. In fact," she said leaning into the woman, "if whatever plan you have succeeds, you'd be the first person he'd go to for reckoning. So you _remember that_ the next time you go to Naruto for some twisted booty call."

"Why you bi-"

"SAKURA."

Asuka and Haruhi stared with wide eyes at the three women. They'd not seen their Mama so angry in a very, very long time. They knew that the old woman got mad everytime they'd come in for a check up after being attacked by villagers but she'd never had this look in her eyes before. It looked a lot like how Papa gets when he's mad. Nevertheless, Tsunade's presence was a welcome one. At least to Haruhi and Asuka because they knew exactly what happened when people threatened them around their mother. She became Mama Bear. And Mama Bear was scary.

Hinata dropped all her social graces in exchange for the ferocity and power that motherhood had given her. She'd never imagined the adrenaline or power she'd be capable of feeling, especially not toward a pregnant Sakura. Say what you wanted to her, but her girls would _not_ be treated this way. Sakura was one word away from a whole world of pain.

The energy in the room buzzed with high tempers.

"I believe the Uchihas have requested my services here, you may go."

"Shishou, these...these _people_ have been nothing but rude and...and…"

"You can leave now, Sakura. Go take your lunch break or something to clear your head before you say anything that you'd inevitably regret later."

Sakura took one last pause before sighing, nodding and promptly leaving the room. Her heels clacked loudly down the hallway.

Sasuke had only ever seen his wife go into full on Mama Mode once before. Although, never so abruptly and never so venomously. And he'd never been privy to watching her put Sakura in her place about his own loyalties to his wife. He smirked. It was hot. But he knew, in a matter of seconds, regret and embarrassment would hit her and she'd be a shaking ball of nerves. At least, that's what he'd been expecting. What actually happened was completely different.

"Uchihas," Tsunade said taking the chart and looking it over, "you can't just come in for a nice normal check up can you." The smirk that played on her lips made her eyes sparkle with mirth. At least she'd not turned on them.

"Sumimasen, Tsunade-sama. I shouldn't have lost my temper but I don't regret what I said. She was out of line and I expect her to be appropriately reprimanded."

Tsunade lowered the paperwork and faced her patient. Her eyes were wide with surprise. Who knew all it'd take for the timid young woman to find her backbone was to have a child-er, children-of her own. Tsunade's theory still rang true though: the softest of women were the fiercest of mothers.

"Don't you worry, she will be. I can assure you that is _not_ the person I trained and mentored. I may not be Hokage anymore but what authority I do have remains unchanged here in this hospital. Just because she's got Naruto's balls in her vice grip doesn't mean she's untouchable. I promise you that."

The old woman sighed wearily and rubbed her forehead, "Now, let's get you checked up so you can get out of this place. How's your head? Any vision problems or headaches since leaving?"  
She took out her tiny flashlight and shined it in Hinata's eyes. The sudden brightness made her wince slightly.

Now that Sakura had left and the attention was returning to herself, she began to fidget. Her children's welfare was one thing but her own seemed to be almost embarrassing.

"Uhhh n-no. No headaches. Vision is f-fine."

Tsunade raised her eyebrow in suspicion.

"Then what has you so nervous about my exam?"

Hinata turned to her family sitting next to the examination table.

"W-well, you see, uhm-"  
"She's pregnant, Tsunade."

The old medic's eyes widened. How in the Five Great Nations could she be pregnant?

"That's...not possible…" her voice near whisper.

Hinata had been so fascinated with the novelty of being pregnant and preoccupied with everything _else_ that had been happening to her that the realization hit her like a ton of bricks…

 _I've been asleep for six months...so how?_

She looked to Sasuke for answers. Had he...he wouldn't have done anything...right? The shock and hurt on her face instantly warned him of the direction her thoughts had turned.

"Tsunade, I think Asuka and Haruhi might like to see the new babies in the nursery. Is there anyone who you trust to take them?"

Sasuke's tone snapped the old woman out of whatever reverie she'd be in because her tone was now serious and urgent.

"Yes. I'll call for Shizune."

Asuka hurried to her mother's side and held on to her arm for dear life.

"I I I wanna stay with M-Mama!"

"Ka-chan," Sasuke said, approaching his daughter, "Shizune-san will be with you the whole time. And Tsunade-san will be helping Mama feel better. We'll be right here when you get back."

"R-really?"

"Hn."

Haruhi came and joined her father, "Yeah Ka-chan! We can practice being big sisters! Right Mama?"

Through a myriad of emotions and weak smile Hinata nodded.

"Of course, Haru-chan. You and Ka-chan will be wonderful big sisters and Shizune-san will take good care of you for just a little while. Mama and Papa won't leave for home without you, alright?"

The little girl looked between her parents and sister. Slowly, she released her hold on her mother's arm.

"Alright," she whispered.

Shizune opened the door with a quiet knock and a smile.

"Yes? How can I help?" The mousy young woman asked.

"Haruhi and Asuka would like to visit the nursery. I trust you to make sure they're safely looked after."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama. Come on girls, I'll take you." She smiled.

"Yeah!" Haruhi cheered and went to Shizune.

"Asuka?" Shizune inquired, "would you like to come along?"

The little girl nodded and reluctantly went to her sister.

"You know girls, there's a rumor that a nurse brought in some cookies upstairs. How about we find them while we visit the new babies?"  
The two girls faces brightened and they followed the younger woman out of the room.

"Before we go any further, I need to examine you to determine if there's actually a pregnancy."

Hinata nodded, "Alright."

"We saw it, so it's there," Sasuke said angrily. Hinata winced at his words.

"Be that as it may, I do not possess a doujutsu that allows be to see it so humor me. Lie back."

The old medic went performed all the standard pregnancy evaluations. From old chakra tests to the newer ultrasounds, the tests all reached the same conclusion. Hinata was indeed pregnant and had become that way while she was still in a coma.

Tsunade turned to Sasuke, "You'd better have a damn good explanation for this Uchiha."

His eyes darkened.

"I was about to say the same to you."

Hinata looked between the two in astonishment.

"W-what?"

"She assumes," he began, "that I somehow managed to sleep with you during your coma. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not someone who rapes women." His tone was venomous and icy.

"I did not say that, Uchiha," she rebutted angrily.

"What else could you mean!" he bellowed.

"W-will ss-someone just explain how this happened!"

Hinata's voice wavered on panic.

When she'd discovered her pregnancy earlier that morning, her emotions ranged from shock to happiness. It never occurred to her nor had she been of the frame of mind to considered the why or how of the pregnancy. She was married and assumed that was that. It didn't occur to her that she'd been in a coma for half a year and the mechanics of it all just didn't add up.

Sasuke placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hina," he started softly, "I _promise_ I never...I would never…"

She looked into his eyes. Where was once anger toward the old medic was now sadness and guilt. A guilt she was all too familiar with these days. How could she have ever thought he was capable of doing something so horrible? It seemed guilt was contagious.

"I kn-know that n-now," she whispered. She didn't miss the way his eyes darkened for a moment.

"Now?" he asked.

She took her husband's hand.

"Sasuke, I-I'm s-sorry for even thinking it. J-just when I get my bearings, and feel confident in who I am, something happens and I feel so unsure again. I know that you'd never hurt me…"

He studied her face intently. She'd been through so much and had chosen him all over again. He couldn't blame her for fleeting thoughts, nor could she blame him for his outrage that someone had taken advantage of his wife while she was vulnerable. He'd get to the bottom of this. He took her hands in his own and squeezed them.

"How could this happen Tsunade?" he asked turning to the medic, "I only ever left her side to care for the girls and even then she was supposed to have someone with her at all times…"

Tsunade sighed, "There's only two options that I can possibly think of...one, she was bedded by someone who was not her husband and didn't care she was unconscious…"

Sasuke's eyes and anger flared. Hinata whimpered.

"Or, someone performed and unauthorized and unethical procedure leading to the pregnancy. As for being alone, she never was. When you'd leave, I always assigned the best medic on duty at the time."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"Like Sakura?" he spat through grit teeth.

Tsunade rubbed her brow, "Yes, most of the time it was Sakura. There were others who helped so don't go jumping the gun, Uchiha. You know as well as I do that the brat Hokage will kill you if something happens to her."

The three sat in silence until finally Hinata found her voice again.

"So," started quietly, "someone did this to me while I was asleep. And now… I'm…"

"Hina," Sasuke said getting her attention, "I swear I will find out who did this and deal with them accordingly-rules be damned."

Tears flowing, she nodded.

"That begs the question, Uchiha, who fathered this child."

Sasuke stood from beside his wife and went to the window. He peered out of it, trying to gather his thoughts and emotions.

"If I knew that they'd be dead already."

"Don't be stupid and irrational Sasuke, you have two daughters who need _both_ of their parents. You and I both know what would happen if you killed anyone."

"I know that," he growled as Tsunade turned her attention to Hinata.

"You have a decision to make, dear," she said quietly, "do you wish to continue the pregnancy or…"

Sasuke squeezed his own fingers into a fist and started to shake with rage. This is _not_ a decision that the two should be faced with. They were supposed to be thrilled when she was pregnant not this...this...mess.

Hinata knew full well what the 'or' was in this situation and the thought alone made her sick.

"I I I can't make a decision like that without my husband," she whispered, "would you mind giving us a moment?"

Tsunade nodded and left the room.

Hinata eyed Sasuke warily.

"Sasuke…" she whispered.

"I can't tell you what to do Hinata."

His voice was too harsh. She wasn't used to being on the receiving end of his temper and she didn't like it. Hinata tried her best to reconcile this man with the doting, loving husband and father that he'd shown her at their home. How could he be so angry with her?

"I know that Sasuke," she said firmly, "nor do I want you to. Like it or not, this affects our whole family and I can't…"

He didn't miss the way her voice broke. Sasuke turned to see his wife struggling to not lose her nerve and keep back the tears. He'd never felt like more of an asshole as he did right now. She hadn't asked or wanted for this anymore than he had. She also hadn't blamed him for leaving her alone long enough for it _to_ happen, but, then again, he was doing that enough for both of them. He'd only left her side to care for their children at night. Damn it.

"Hey," he said sitting next to her and drawing her into his embrace, "I'm here. I'm with you. Whatever you choose to do, I'll support you."

She couldn't look him in the eyes.

"A-and if I c-couldn't…if I continued the..."

He sat quietly for a moment then:

"I would still be by your side. Regardless of paternity, the baby is still part of you. And that's what I'd focus on. I won't lie and tell you it's going to be easy for me. I'll probably be broody for while, but once we process through all this, we'll be stronger for it. Isn't that what you always say?"

There was silence. Then, a small giggle as she turned her eyes back to her husband.

"Oh. Right." He chuckled, embarrassed.

She rested her hand on his, "It does sound like something I'd say, even if I don't remember."

He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer. She sighed into his hold.

"Our family is strong and we'll manage this," he whispered against her skin, "no matter what."

"And the girls? What will we tell them?"

The two sat in silence for a while.

"The truth...eventually. They'll notice differences and we'll tell them the truth...but for now, we'll just get through this as best we can."  
She nodded.

Hinata had never before been so thankful. In her whole life, she'd never imagined Sasuke Uchiha as this person who sat next to her, silently lending her his strength. But here she was and she was thankful it was with him by her side.

A soft knock alerted them to Tsunade's presence in the room once more.

"Have you two come to a decision?" she asked Hinata.

"Yes."  
"And?"  
"We'll continue with the pregnancy," Sasuke said pulling his wife tighter to him.

Tsunade smiled softly at the couple.

"Then I'll need to take some blood. I'll test everything I can and see if it will give us an idea as to who fathered the child. Maybe that will lead us to who could have infiltrated the hospital to do such a thing."  
The couple nodded and Tsunade got to work. It was hours later before she was finished and Hinata felt more like a pincushion than she'd ever had in her life. The old woman gathered the viles of blood and other samples to take with her.

"I'll look over these myself and see what I can come up with. I'll send Shizune to retrieve you if I find something. For now, rest. I trust you two to come out of this much, much stronger. If anyone can do it, the Uchiha can." She said with a wink. "I'll let Shizune know you're ready for your daughters."

With nothing else to say, the woman left the room. Hinata rose from the exam table and began to gather her things. Sasuke grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him.

"I know this isn't ideal," she whispered.

She felt him shrug.

"Life isn't ideal, but I'm used to that."  
He hugged her with desperation.

"Promise me something?" he whispered.

"A-anything."

"You'll be with me in fifty...sixty years and we'll be old together. My parents...my family...they never-"  
"I promise." She said firmly, cutting him off.

He held her in his arms until the door opened.

"Mama?"

"Papa?"  
The two girls found their parents embracing and ran toward them, each hugging the legs of a parent.

The little family stayed that way for a while; basking in the safety and love they felt for each other. Sasuke soaked it in and used it to remind himself that he could no longer play the Avenger. He'd have to be smart about seeking his revenge. Once upon a time, he'd lost his family and he was bound and determined to not lose them again. It wouldn't be long until Tsunade found something and then he'd be able to use it to further his own agenda. He didn't care if whoever was behind this had called him friend before, now-they'd chosen their side and he'd be sure to let them know it was the wrong one.

Sooner or later, the Leaf village would remember that you don't fuck with Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

 **How'd you like it? Reviews please lovelies and be kind to yourselves, yes?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, lovelies! I do hope you're all having a great weekend! I happened to have this already written up so I decided to post it. Thank you all for reviewing, it helps me see which way the story should go. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this one.**

 **NOTEY NOTE NOTE: I don't own Naruto or its characters. There may be some sensitive or triggering topics in this chapter so proceed with caution.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The minutes turned to hours, and the hours to days, nevertheless Tsunade sat this microscope going over every piece of DNA, every sample of blood, everything until this moment. She stared at the little machine, cursing it silently because of the results it'd shown her. Logically, scientifically, she knew that it wasn't the microscope's fault but it still didn't make the blow softer by any means. How in the hell was she going to explain this to Sasuke Uchiha? She dropped her head into her hands and exhaled. Today was going to be a long day…

.:.:.:.:.

It'd been two weeks since they'd seen Tsunade. Two. Weeks. Yet time had not done its job and healed this wound, rather, it'd left a gaping hole. Hinata was jumpier than she had been since returning home. When asked about her pregnancy, her answers were clipped and concise. Sasuke recognized this behavior in his wife. This was how she dealt with grief and anxiety. He knew that she'd eventually implode if they didn't discuss this but each time he'd broached the topic with her she'd always smile and brush off his concerns.

The family sat in silence around their breakfast table. Sasuke and Hinata had tried to go through the motions of normalcy for the girls. Asuka and Haruhi were geniuses in their own right, so after letting their parents go on like this for two weeks, they wanted their family back.

"Mama," Haruhi asked, "why are you sad? Aren't you happy to be home? Happy with Papa and us?"  
"And baby brother?" Asuka added.

Hinata looked over her girls intently, eyes moving between them and her husband. Was she happy? Deep down she was but on the surface, all she could be was numb. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to be sad, she wanted to be something else than just the shell of a person she'd become these past two weeks. She knew her daughters were intuitive and could sense that something was not right. Sasuke always looked like she would shatter into a million pieces. It didn't help that _she_ felt like she might shatter, nevertheless, she had to be strong for them. All of them. She'd been through so much in the last few weeks and she'd gained more than she ever could have wished for. She had to focus on the family in front of her. Eventually, Hinata would grow to love this child, as it was a part of her, but right now, she could only focus on the two pairs of eyes searching her face for any signs of sadness or worry.

"Girls let's let your Mama-"  
"Yes," she inserted, "I'm v-very happy."

Haruhi narrowed her eyes at her mother and placed tiny fists on non-existent hips.

"Then why do you feel sad? I can feel your chakra and it feels sad. If you're sad we can help! Papa can help! But not if you don't let us."

"You always tell us that when we're sad…" Asuka added softly.

Asuka looked to her hands on her lap while Haruhi continued to watch her mother for signs of irritation or anger.

Hinata sighed. Being a mother was difficult, and even though it'd been thrust upon her not all that long ago, she couldn't imagine not having these two. Guilt began to creep through her and settle into her bones. She wanted to give herself grace and let herself heal, but she was now a mother first and she had to make sure that her daughters had the life they deserved. Hinata glanced over to her husband. He was massaging his forehead, a habit she'd learned that helped him deal with whatever anxiety he may be feeling. Tonight, when the girls were in bed, they would talk and put some of these anxieties to rest once and for all.

"Girls, I-"

KNOCK. KNOCK.

The family turned to the front door.

Sasuke looked back toward his family, in silent questioning, only to be answered with shrugs and silence. Sighing, he pushed himself up from the table and went to answer it. The person knocking wouldn't have been anyone threatening or Haruhi would've told him. Unless they'd suppressed they suppressed their chakra. Ever on guard, he opened the door.

"Hello Sasuke-san," Shizune said with a bow, "Tsunade-shishou would like to see you and Hinata-chan. She's asked me to stay with the twins. It's quite urgent."

She smiled at him and he nodded.

 _Finally_ , he thought with some relief, _answers._

He returned to the table.

"Asuka. Haruhi. Your Mama and I have to go meet with Tsunade. Shizune will be with you until we return and will tell you everything you need to know then. Can you girls be brave and wait here for us?"

The twins looked at one another then back to their father.

"Yeah, Papa, we can do that."  
"Good girls. Hina?"  
She nodded, stood and grabbed her things. Sasuke offered his wife his hand and she took it, keeping herself grounded in the present instead of the 'what ifs' or anxieties that they'd inevitably face. Turning with a last look to their girls, Hinata was surprised with what she saw.

Asuka standing, brave faced and tall, in front of Shizune and Haruhi, lip quivering and watery eyed, ready to burst into tears at any given moment.

"Oh my girls," she whispered and motioned for them to come to her.

They dashed over to her and she bent to their level, enveloping them both in a hug. Whispering courage and comfort in their ears as they both relieved themselves of the emotions they'd been carrying for the past weeks.

Haruhi was the first to break away. She wiped her face on her sleeve and drew from all the courage one little girl could muster.

"Mama…" she asked, voice warbly.

Hinata turned to the girl and placed her hands on her cheeks. She wiped the remaining tears away with her thumbs and kissed the little girl gently on her nose.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"You'll come back right?"

The mother's eyes widened, then softened.

"Yes. I will always come back."

"You promise?" Asuka added.

Taking the two girls in for another hug, she gave them a gentle squeeze. Then, placing a hand on their shoulders, she said:

"I promise. It's just a meeting with Tsunade-sama. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't worry. I've got your Papa to protect me. And nothing can get past him, right?" She asked, winking.

The girls giggled.

"Right!" they chimed in unison.

Sasuke smirked with pride. He almost missed all of this. These women whom he adored more than anything else in this world. He'd probably have done alright for himself...no. No, he'd definitely be dead by now had it not been for these three. It didn't take a genius to figure out why Sasuke Uchiha didn't burn the village to the ground in one fail swoop. It took all of his restraint not to do so right now… what with the state his wife was in and the predators lurking around every corner-or so it seemed anyway. They should be livid, and rightly so. Somehow, the shock of it all was the prevalent emotion in the Uchiha household and that had tempered the anger and fury somewhat. He was ready to pounce and seek his revenge but he couldn't leave his wife and children to do so. What they needed now, more than ever, was his guiding force. Like it or not, he was the cornerstone right now and he'd have to maintain his composure if he were going to get his family through this in one piece. And by Kami, he would.

"Hina," he said gently, "we should be going."

She nodded, giving the two girls kisses on cheeks before rising to her full height. She caught Sasuke's hand once more.

"Be good girls, ne?"

"Yes, Papa!" they chanted.

With that, he shut the front door and cast multiple barrier and protection jutsu to secure his home. For in it, were his two most treasured things.

.:.:.:.:.

The hospital was as stark white as ever and the ammonia burned his nostrils. It was a necessary evil, coming here, but at least he would leave with answers and his family could begin to heal from this whole thing.

The nurse had led the two back past several hospital rooms until reaching an office suite. She motioned for them to sit in the designated waiting area across from a large oak door.

"Please have a seat. I'll inform Tsunade-sama you're here."

Hinata didn't miss the chill in her tone, nor the way her gaze lingered a little too long at her husband's...assets. She could feel the anger begin to bubble beneath her calm facade.

The young woman quietly knocked on the large door and announced the Uchiha couple to the medic. Before she'd even finished her sentence, the old medic was in the waiting room.

"Sasuke, Hinata. Come in."

They followed her instruction and she closed the door behind them.

"So what-"

She raised a hand to silence them.

"First, let me make sure no one is eavesdropping."

The pair looked at her quizzically while she cast a soundproofing jutsu. What need did she have for all of that? Unless…

"It was someone on your staff," Sasuke said plainly.

Tsunade looked him over carefully.

"Yes. However, it's not what you think. What we all thought happened is so far from the facts…"

Hinata looked as if she'd pass out. Sasuke grabbed her arm and led her to a chair. She gave him an appreciative look and accepted his help, sitting down with her face supported in her hands. Sasuke gave a tired sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"Just spit it out Tsunade, we're both tired of all this shit."

The old medic sighed herself and brought out a bottle of sake from behind her desk.

"Want some?" she offered, producing three bowls.

Sasuke glared at her fiercely. Hinata shook her head. Tsunade shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

She downed a shot and then opened the file sitting a top all the others.

"I've gone over every piece of blood evidence personally. At first, I thought for sure I'd received an error or the results were flawed somehow so I tested it over and over again. Five times to be precise. Each time received the same result: the father of the child is of Uchiha decent."

Hinata's head shot up from her hands and Sasuke's eyes bled red.

"We've been through this," Sasuke hissed, the killing intent seeping off of him in waves, "I DID NOT nor would I ever do something so vile. _Especially_ to the woman I love and the mother of my children!"

Hinata felt as if she may vomit.

"You don't listen Uchiha. I said 'of Uchiha decent' which is not necessarily you."

"I'm the last damned Uchiha able to father children, who ELSE could it possibly be!"

Sasuke was so angry he was practically spitting fire. Hinata didn't know what to feel. So she just defaulted to nauseous.

Tsunade sighed, "Let me finish. I thought for sure the samples had been contaminated somehow so I did further genome testing. I ran the sample through all of the known Uchiha DNA we have here going back some twenty years. We found a match."

"And?" Sasuke demanded.

"Your brother, Itachi, is the father of this child."

Whatever argument was on his lips vanished before it ever came to fruition. There was no _possible_ way for this to be the answer. Itachi was dead and now he was to believe his ghost impregnated his wife?! This whole scenario made him regret not setting this hell hole ablaze after the first incident with Asuka and Haruhi.

 _Itachi?!_

"That's impossible…" he whispered, "he...he was so sick before he died. There's no way he'd have been able to leave such a sample regardless of the why and how it got here. There must be some mistake."  
"I ran the sample numerous times all with the same result. It's no fluke."

Sasuke had been to Hell and back throughout his life but never, not once, had he ever thought he'd be faced with a situation like this. Who in their right mind would do something like this? He sunk into the chair next to Hinata. She placed a shaking hand on his knee. He rubbed her back and tried to ground himself.

"The good news, if there is any at this point, is that there's no way Hinata could have been sexually assaulted. The only way for her to receive such material and become pregnant from it is intrauterine insemination. Someone would have had to study Hinata's cycle, while in a coma, and used that information to perform such a procedure."

Hinata didn't know what to say or how to feel. She'd been violated even if she had been physically assaulted. How could someone _do this_? Especially to a family that had already had so much heartbreak. No matter how fair the outlook, the Uchiha clan just never seemed to catch a break from the crazy. The thought snapped something inside her that took this nauseating feeling dread into something much fierier, near anger but not quite. Outrage. Yes. That was it.

"WHO did this," Hinata demanded through grit teeth, "because the only thing that makes sense is that it was someone you assigned to care for me. We _must_ know them. So who was it?"

Tsunade took another long swig of the alcohol, this time straight from the bottle.

"It can only be one of five people. Sakura was the lead in my stead when I couldn't be there, Ino Yamanaka was her alternate. Shizune was in charge of the whole of rotation, including who conducted each procedure we knew about. That leaves me and the nurse permanently assigned to Hinata's case, Akiko."

Sasuke's head shot up.

"HER," he spat, "you mean the nurse that nearly slapped my children when they came to visit their mother."

Hinata's eyes bulged as she looked from her irate husband and the semi-sober Tsunade.

"Yes, Uchiha, _her._ She was appropriately reprimanded and by the time she was going to be replaced Hinata woke up."

"It wasn't the first complaint I filed against her Tsunade. There were two separate instances where she'd attempted to seduce me. Even after I put her in her place she latched on harder. It's got to be her."

Tsunade eyed him carefully.

"It does line up with the logs that were in place. She was on duty during the week that Hinata would have been able to conceive. She also took careful and meticulous notes during that time, being sure to mention everything she observed."

"Likely to cover her ass!"

"Yes, that's a possibility. However, even if she did perform the procedure, which she has the skillset to do, it still does not explain how she got Itachi's sample."

"Damn it!" Sasuke hissed.

Sasuke's anger began to boil in his veins. This whole village was disturbed. They claimed _his_ family was the ones who were crazy yet here they are full of psychopaths inseminating women in a coma! This village would be the first to go…

"Sasuke," Hinata whispered, "I'm alright. Please calm down."

Her voice was pleading with him, slightly warning him of the repercussions of losing his temper.

"Hinata they-"  
"I know what they did Sasuke, I'm living it," she said sternly, "but there's nothing we can do know but focus on getting to the bottom of the who and why of all of this. There will be time for vengeance, I promise you that. They've put our family in danger and even I can't forgive that."

His eyes searched hers for any sign of mistrust but there was none. He nodded his agreement.

"We need to call Ibiki and probe all of them. There's no time to spare. There could be a plan in motion to harm our children."

"I agree with my wife. But one thing is still unclear to me. How did they even get the genetic material from my brother? He's been dead now for at least a decade. So how-"

Tsunade raised her hand to stop him.

"There's a long standing village law, probably as old as the village itself, that each clan heir upon reaching Jounin level or puberty-whichever comes first-they must provide a genetic deposit to the village. This is supposed to provide insurance that Clans will always have genetic representation in the village. Most Clan Heads, Fugaku included, write it in their wills to have the heir's genetic material passed on through whatever means necessary."

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock.

"You mean to tell me that this whole time, my brother's sperm was kept in freezers in some basement for just anyone to go and do whatever they want with? Are there other children I should know about?"

"Uchiha not just anyone has access to the vaults. It's a biometric lock. The only ones who can enter it have the highest security clearances. Not just anyone can get to it."

Hinata's breath caught in realization.

"So...so when I was thirteen, and my father brought me in for my first...woman's exam...that operation wasn't to just check to make sure nothing was injured in the Chuunin exams was it. They took my...my…"  
"Yes," Tsunade sighed, "they retrieved your genetic material and it's been stored in the basement of the Hokage tower since."

Sasuke stood and began pacing the room. His energy was through the roof and he had no idea what to do other than mame and kill. This village was so fucked up…

Wait.

"Hokage tower?" he hissed.

"Yes," Tsunade replied nervously.

"This biometric lock wouldn't be keyed to Naruto would it?"

The silence was eerily calm and it sent shivers down Hinata's spine.

"Yes. It is... because he's Hokage, and before you go running off to be an idiot, during the time frame in question, he was off in Suna for diplomatic relations."

"Then who could possibly have gotten the materials?!" he shouted.

Hinata tilted her head. If the vault was biometrically secured and only a few trusted individuals were allowed access then the pool of suspects was drastically lowered. All of the information whirred through her brain, bits, and pieces sticking together and building a timeline. There was only one person that had the clearance and the ability to make this happen.

"Sakura," she whispered.

"What?" Sasuke asked, coming to her side.

"It was Sakura. She was the only one to have the ability to retrieve the sample and hand it off to Akiko. Not to mention, she's the only one to openly hate me this much-"

Without warning, the door flew open to Tsunade's office. A frantic and out of breath Shizune approached the three ninjas.

"What the hell? Shizune I told you to keep the girls at home!" Tsunade yelled.

Panic rose through Hinata's whole body.

 _Something isn't right._

She stood and went to Sasuke.

"I...I did. But they...they were taken," she gasped out.

"What do you mean _taken_ ," Tsunade barked, "HOW!"  
"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE," the Uchiha yelled, "I put very specific wards in place to keep them safe. No one can pass through the barrier without being an Uchiha!"

Shizune's face paled as she tried to explain through gasping breaths.

"That's...well, the man he...he...had the Sharingan...but he also had...veins like the Byakugan. He took...them. I thought he would kill me but….he locked chakra in my legs...he wanted me to tell...you Sasuke-san...that he'd taken the two things...you lived for…"

"What the hell do you mean!"

"This...man...had a natural Sharingan. Haruhi...could sense the familiar chakra...she said...he felt like you…"

Shizune collapsed onto a chair in the office. Tsunade called for nurses to tend to her companion.

Eyes wide and head full of confusion, Sasuke grabbed Hinata's hand and the pair raced through the hospital halls, through the village, and to their home. This was not, could not be happening. His daughters would be home, safely waiting for them. He was the last Uchiha and they would be safe.

Through the streets and over rooftops the parents ran, Sharingan and Byakugan ablaze. Sasuke's head pounded with the seal that would threaten to over take him. Hinata felt him falter in his footsteps and she took the lead.

"Sasuke!" she called, "we're almost home."

He nodded and let himself be led by his wife.

Once in the Uchiha boundaries, his seal stopped threatening to rip open his head and he could see straight again. Hinata and Sasuke looked around the front of their home and around to the back. It was too quiet. The sound of their feet crunching broken glass was the first red flag.

Darting inside, they began calling for the girls.

"Asuka! Haruhi!"

Over and over again they called, desperately clinging to the hope their twins would be safe and sound. They searched the entirety of the district. Nothing was out of place in their home. Nothing was stolen or broken, save for the window to the back door. Sasuke dropped to his knees and let out a cry that made Hinata's heart sink.

Asuka and Haruhi Uchiha had vanished without a trace.

* * *

 **There you have it. Reviews are lovely, just like you all. Please be kind to yourselves...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my lovelies! I know it's been a while but life has now stopped being so crazy and I'm happy to update regularly once more. Thanks for waiting patiently for this update and I hope you enjoy!**

 **I don't own anything from Naruto...obviously, because I'm writing this and not rewriting the trainwreck that is Boruto...**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

It was dark.

It was too dark and she couldn't activate her Byakugan no matter how hard she tried. She scrunched her forehead and wiggled her nose. Something was blocking her vision. She couldn't quite make out what it was but she knew that she couldn't get it off without some help.

"Ka-chan!" she whispered, but received no answer.

"Asuka!" she said, louder than the first time but was still met with overwhelming silence.

Haruhi's ears rattled with the sound of her own blood pumping through her, adrenaline high.

 _What happened?_

She couldn't remember how she got here... _wherever here is_ and she struggled to recount the events immediately before this lapse in memory. Haruhi could remember Mama and Papa leaving to see Tsunade-sama. She remembered Shizune-san playing board games with them and a stranger approaching her house.

 _The stranger! Or...was he?_

His chakra felt so familiar to her. Almost as familiar as her own, but it was closer to her Papa's. It blazed orange red in her mind's eye and she had just assumed Papa had taken medicine at the hospital. Something similar had happened once before when Asuka was sick and she couldn't see the vibrant purple of her sister's chakra. Instead, it had turned the palest of violets. Mama told her that sometimes chakra went a little funny when it was being influenced by different medicines.

It didn't make sense though! Her Papa told them that they had to be careful about their house because of the super strong wards he'd put up to protect them. He said no one without Uchiha blood could get past them without getting sparked to the next hidden village. She'd never actually seen it happen but Papa never lied to her before so why would he lie about that? Besides, he always said that he'd protect them no matter what. So it made complete sense to her when he'd told her about his protective barriers.

Now, here she was in this dark room with something keeping her hands bound together. She tried to turn her wrists a bit but felt a burning sensation around them.

 _Rope?_

Haruhi had never been formally trained as a shinobi nor has she had any mission practice. What she did know, was what her parents had taught her through years of informal training of Hyuga and Uchiha family techniques.

They'd also taught her how to handle situations in which she'd found herself kidnapped.

Ever since she could remember, she knew that their were bad people in their village who wanted nothing more than to kidnap her and her sister for no other reason than their last name. She'd always known that her eyes were precious and anyone who wanted them would try and take them from her. She'd never had nightmares about monsters or ghosts, but she'd had plenty about men and women trying to cut out her eyes.

Whoever had captured her though, hadn't bothered to use chakra blocking restraints. Papa had shown her and Asuka pictures of what to watch for and how to use their talent against them.

 _That must be what's covering my eyes!_

He always said that if she was bound by chakra blockers then she'd have to use the basics movements of the jyuuken her mother had taught her. The mask was one thing. Rope, on the other hand, he'd shown her exactly what to do with that.

 _Looks like they've underestimated us!_

Her thoughts turned suddenly back to her sister. Where was Asuka? She had to find her and save her! No matter what else happened, she had to get them both back home.

 _Whatever it takes,_ she mentally resolved.

Thanks to her father's genius and her mother's superior chakra control, she was able to visualize the hand signs in her mind. It wasn't hard, then, for her to focus her fire style jutsu to her fingertips and, eventually, radiating a wave of red chakra over her hands and wrists. She knew she couldn't use too much, too fast, else the rope would burn quickly and she'd be left with enough smoke to alert her captors. Not to mention some really bad burns. She pulsed her chakra over and over again until she felt the bindings loosen, then fall to the floor.

 _Yes!_

Thankfully, her ankles were left untouched and so it didn't take her too long to gather herself and take note of her surroundings. She removed the mask with little difficulty. She instantly recognized it from the pictures and just like he'd said, the eye pieces were made of chakra blocking material.

Her eyes should work now! Activating her Byakugan, Haruhi was able to locate within seconds. It helped that she'd known her sister's chakra as innately as her own.

Placing a tentative hand on the door handle, she gently squeezed and turned it as slowly as she could. She wanted to be as silent as possible. Papa had taught her that stealth was key in hostage situations.

She didn't see anyone outside the door, nor did she detect any chakra signatures in the near vicinity. Whoever had taken them, had done so under the impression that neither she, nor her sister, had any idea how to use their abilities. Tiptoeing, she followed a labyrinth of hallways and slowly, she'd finally reached the room where her sister was being held.

Unfamiliar voices surrounded her as she crept through the open door to hide under a table draped with a white cloth. She couldn't make out the man's features because she was so focused on her sister, bound and helpless, listening with steeled features to the man with the longest, tallest chakra she'd ever seen.

"Now...Asuka, was it?" the man with a long chakra asked.

"Yes," her sister replied quietly and calmly, voice unwavering.

This seemed to please the long man, as he clucked in satisfaction.

"Asuka-chan," he crooned, "I want you to know that you're our guest here. Anything you want will be given to you to insure that your stay here his comfortable."

"I want my sister."

He chuckled.

"Anything but that, my dear. You see, we have special plans for...oh what was the other one's name…"

He turned to the corner of the room and a woman stepped out of the shadows.

"Haruhi Uchiha, Ryu-sama."

The man snapped his fingers in recognition, making Haruhi jump ever so slightly underneath the table.

"That's right. _Haruhi._ Spring princess, ne? And here I thought _you_ were the eldest born…"

"I am."

"Indeed you are."

Haruhi could see Asuka's chakra flare. Honestly, her sister was usually quieter and calmer but it seems that, like their Mama, she could be bold if she needed to. The man paced circles around the chair to which her sister was bound, all the while Asuka's features were stone and reminiscent of their father's. She kept her eyes forward and she didn't waver.

"Where's my sister?"

The man sighed.

"It's best you forget your sister. She has her own destiny, as do you. And yours, my dear, will be much greater than your twin's. You see, we've been watching you two since you were born. At first, we were hired by the Hyuga clan in the Hidden Leaf to kidnap you and eventually destroy you when we'd used you both for whatever we wished. They'd provided us with the means to take you but it seems their own men couldn't manage to create a distraction large enough. It didn't help that your sister can sense chakra. So," he sighed, drawing out his story, "we had to step back and watch. Oh and how excited we were when we realized just what _you_ could do Asuka-chan."

Haruhi watched as the man ran his finger along her cheek.

"My sister," Asuka growled.

"Now," he continued ignoring her, "we thought the other girl was going to be the prize. Twins are so hard to decipher at first, you know. Rarely is the chakra and genetics evenly shared between both in the womb. My scouts watched you both every day and followed you to your secret hiding place my dear. The Uchiha archives…now that is brilliant. You were studying ancient clan techniques, no doubt. Since no one but you, your sister and father can get in without escort, it only makes sense. It was no matter. My scout also has similar abilities to you see, Akihito also possesses both the Byakugan and Sharingan…"

Haruhi's eyes went wide from her hiding spot.

"…he is the offspring of the true Uchiha heir and the younger Hyuga heiress. Hiashi-sama was so kind to offer us a sample from his daughter as payment for our services. The wonderful thing about science is that anything can grow in the proper conditions. Add a splash of jutsu and, well, you have a formidable young man, ne Akihito?"

A third person stepped from the shadows. He remained close to the girl they'd called Akira. Haruhi recognized his chakra! It was the same man who'd kidnapped them! But…he wasn't a man at all…he couldn't be older than a genin!

"It was quite clandestine timing that his youngest daughter had entered puberty so young, the sample was strong and matched with Itachi-san…well, it was a perfect match. Although, now that I see you…perhaps we should have accepted the elder Hyuga daughter's material…ah well, hindsight, right?"

He continued to pace around Asuka, "Now then, it took us a while to accelerate Akihito's growth and maturity but once he was strong enough we were finally able to send him on the retrieval mission. And here we are! I finally have my little Uchiha-hime…the heir and the spare, ne?"

The man turned to the boy, "Any other intel, Akihito?"

"Yes, Ryu-sama, the woman is pregnant. With a similar specimen to my father's. The pink woman has been reckless."

The old man waived him off, "Yes, yes. No matter. We have our prize."

"Yes, Ryu-sama," he said, returning to the shadows.

"Now Asuka-hime, what is it you want first?"

He stopped in front of her sister and gently put his hand on her cheek.

"Where's my sister? I won't ask again," she spat.

Haruhi watched in awe of her big sister. She was always used to taking care of Ka-chan and making sure nothing scared her because when she gets nervous, she can't breathe and Haruhi did not want to see her sister die of a panic attack.

The girl sitting in the chair, talking to the weird man with long chakra was someone she'd never seen before.

"Oh, ho! Akira, do you see? I told you she had some of that Uchiha fire."

"Yes Ryu-sama," the woman answered in monotone.

He sighed, "If it were anyone else, little Asuka, I would have already killed them for their impertinence. Seeing as you are not _just_ anyone else, I'll indulge you….what if I _didn't_ tell you where your sister was? Hmm? What then?"

The next few minutes would imprint on Asuka and Haruhi for the rest of their lives.

Haruhi saw the woman move back to the shadows and place a barrier around herself. It was such delicate chakra that she could barely see it, but it was there.

Did she know something? Was the man going to hurt Ka-chan! NO! Haruhi wouldn't let him! Before she could act on her feelings, her sister's calm resolve broke through her urgency.

"I guess you're not telling," Asuka whispered.

In the next instant, Asuka's eyes illuminated red. Three tomoe spun rapidly around her irises. Haruhi felt her eyes sting and burn, blood trickling down her cheek. She felt her Byakugan recede but the veins were still present. Suddenly, she could see with even more stunning clarity than she could before. Everything was enhanced including her ability to sense and see chakra. It was like fireworks! The two figures in the corner burned brightly with familiar chakra and her sister's ultra violet spirit burned brighter than she'd ever seen it.

"OH! LOOK! She can use her Sharingan! This is perfect!"

The tall man ran back to his desk and began scribbling furiously in a notepad, treating Asuka as an observation rather than the threat she was becoming.

Haruhi felt the rise in chakra and it made her skin tingle and spark. This was Ka-chan's chakra and she'd never felt it like this before. She instinctively shielded herself behind a protective jutsu her mother had taught her.

"ByakuSharingan" Asuka whispered.

Veins protruded from her face while her Sharingan was still active. Haruhi had never seen anything like this! How had she not known that her sister could be so cool!

She watched as her sister's eyes seemed to find her own under the table. Her mouth twitched upward slightly, and nodded imperceptibly to anyone without their vision. Haruhi could feel a little bubble of warmth encapsulate her. It felt like a hug! But where was it coming from?

The next words from her sister stopped her thoughts instantly.

"Seishin kaiho: Senzo no hyōi no jutsu. (Spirit Release: Ancestor Possession Jutsu)"

 _No way!_

Haruhi watched, amazed, as bright white flames shot out from her sister's chakra and began engulfing the whole room...and everyone in it.

.:.:.:.:.

"Naruto I'm leaving with or without your permission."

Sasuke slammed his fist down on the Hokage's desk, causing everyone in the room to jump.

"…THE HELL YOU ARE," the blonde countered, "you _know_ you'll drop dead if you set foot outside the gates without that seal being set. What good would that do!"

Sasuke seethed with rage and it leaked out into the room. Everyone of importance was present, and Hinata couldn't really tell if it was because they all had valid interest in the matter or if they wanted to see her husband self-destruct, thus proving their theories on how intensely insane the Uchiha were.

"Then release it so I can go and find my daughters!"

If she hadn't become so intimately familiar with her husband's chakra and temperament over the past few weeks, she'd have been just as concerned as everyone else that Sasuke would flatten the village right then and there—his own life be damned. Hinata knew better. She knew that he couldn't sacrifice himself to the whim of this village. He had to get their girls home safely and _then_ he'd bring judgement to Konoha.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the blonde Hokage conduct the meeting in seeming indifference.

 _How can he be so…so…passive! What if it were_ his _children…_

It was then that she was struck by the reality of the situation: no one in this room, save for Sasuke and herself, cared about what happened to Asuka and Haruhi. Not the village council, not Sasuke's teammates, not the representatives of the Hyuga council, no one. The two innocent little girls were being punished for the crimes of their parents.

Hinata had never been a particularly outspoken person, nor had she ever had dramatic, emotional outbursts as those in the Leaf were prone to do. Hinata had also never faced the pure, raw, white hot heat of a mother's fury.

Steeled for battle and nerves instantly calmed, she placed her hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He instantly stilled, turned to her and then realized once more why she was his match, his partner, his equal. He stepped aside and allowed his anger to ebb and make way for his wife.

Naruto continued, without realizing the focus of his lecture was no longer paying any attention to him.

"Sasuke there's a set of rules in place. I'd have to get council permission and that's only if I were to assign you this mission. As it stands, I'm not sure if you're level-headed enough to take this mission. I can send another team...Hina's old team maybe?"

Naruto looked at the woman, eyes pleading for help. The woman's expression was cold steel; any affection that may have been lingering for him had died a brash, harsh and sudden death. She held no fear. She had no anxiety for the future.

"Release his seal Naruto," she said, activating her Byakugan, "or I'll do it myself."

The Hokage's eyes went wide with equal parts shock and slight fear.

"You can't release it without my express permission. Otherwise we'd have to formally punish you Hinata."

His blue eyes held sadness, but also, his truth. And _his_ truth told him that Sakura could never mislead him the way Sasuke had. _His_ truth reminded him that Hinata had chosen to take to the Uchiha's bed and had chosen to become mother to his children. And if she also chose to share his fate—-so be it.

Hinata did not waiver.

"You can try. Just because I choose to remain a pacifist does not mean I am weak. You've chosen to show absolutely no care or urgency when it comes to the safety of my children. I am anything but weak, Hokage, and I will lock every tenketsu Kurama has if you do not have the one who placed the seal, release it."

Naruto wanted to call her bluff. He desperately wanted to put both of them in their place. He was Hokage, damn it! He had earned respect, and now, he felt like he was back at the Academy. His fists clenched and released on his lap. It didn't matter how he truly felt, he knew that Sasuke would level the village and Hinata would rush to her children's side if the occasion arose. They were here as a plea to let them leave and return. He knew, intrinsically, that the best thing he could do, as Hokage to protect the village as a whole was to allow the Uchihas to go and retrieve their children. Finally, he sighed and pressed a button on his desk. Three ANBU appeared, seemingly from thin air.

"Please retrieve Sakura."

The three operatives nodded and vanished in a flash. The silence that was left was full of anxiety. They all knew that what would happen next, the actions that Sakura would take, would completely change everything they'd come to know.

Sasuke knew that there was a good chance she'd try and sway her lover to keep him in the village. Should that be the case, he'd take the hell he was in right now, and materialize it so that every last person in this kami forsaken village felt exactly what he did.

Hinata knew that she wanted to believe in the inherent goodness of those around her. She wanted to accept their faults and know that they would act in the best interest of those who needed aid. Like they all had in the war. Like Neji had so many years ago. She also knew that the likelihood of events turning out like she wanted was slim. A specific group of people wanted to cage and harness the power of the Uchiha—of her family—only for when it best suited them and not as a respected part of the village. They wanted to protect the majority from the absolute power of the minority. She knew, with complete certainty, that if they refused her, she and Sasuke would give them a reason to fear the Uchiha.

The three shinobi, former friends and shaky allies, sat in expectation for the pink haired kunoichi who, quite literally, held the fate of the Hidden Leaf Village in her chakra laden fingertips.

.:.:.:.

The room fizzled and sighed. It creaked and groaned. A bright, purple light flooded the room. Time itself had stopped. The weird old man that had Asuka bound was behind his desk, eyes wide with crazed exhilaration, but frozen nonetheless. She couldn't make out where the girl had gone, or the boy, but all she could think about was how awesome her sister was!

Haruhi blinked. Then blinked again, trying and somewhat unsuccessfully, to clear her vision of the bright spots that clouded it. Her ears rang with the sound of so many different chakras surrounding her. Once her vision cleared, she realized that she was no longer hiding under the table. She stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by the ultra violet chakra that she knew as intimately as her own from birth.

"Hi," the familiar voice called to her.

Haruhi whipped around to find her sister unbound and unharmed. She looked just as she always had, minus the weird looking eyes.

"Ka-chan!"

She ran to her sister and enveloped her in the biggest hug she could.

"I was so worried! I tried to find you as soon as I woke up but they had my eyes covered and and and well, it was rope so that was no big deal, but then they had this weird blindfold mask thing like Papa said. Anyway, you're okay!"

Asuka smiled warmly, "Of course I am and I knew you would be too."

She winked. Haruhi giggled.

"Your eyes are pretty weird looking but they can do cool stuff!"  
"My eyes? Yours are too!"

"Mine?"

"Yeah, I didn't know if it'd work but I'm kinda glad you were here to let me borrow your chakra. Sorry if I made your eyes wake up too."

"Me? I have Sharingan too!"

Asuka nodded.

"YES! Papa's gonna be so super proud!"

The two girls giggled and embraced again.

"So what is this? I mean, it's cool and all but Papa says the Sharingan takes a ton of chakra so aren't you tired?"

"Hmm. I'm not tired really but it may be because we're sharing the jutsu."

Asuka rubbed the back of her head.

"Oh…cool!"

"We read about this jutsu but isn't it supposed to do something else?"  
"Mmhmm, it's supposed to—"

"Indeed it is."

The two girls froze. Neither had realized the repercussions of the jutsu Asuka had cast, nor did they know precisely what it did. She only knew that she needed help and it was the only jutsu she could think of that was strong enough to get her out.

Slowly they took stock of the room.

Where there was once five, now stood nine.

The two others who hid in shadows, now had nowhere to hide and sat entranced by what they watched. Neither dared move.

Asuka and Haruhi turned to face the four figures. Their breath hitched when they realized just who they'd called to help them.

Standing before them were three men and one woman. The woman was as tall as their Mama and had long hair like her but her face looked just like Papa's. She smiled so warmly at them that they couldn't help but smile back. They noticed the tiny droplets at the corner of her eyes.

The older man stood tall and proud. Immovable and seemingly harsh. The two girls shrunk a bit under his stare but then returned to themselves when they saw the slight upturn to his mouth. A smile they'd recognized from their father when he'd try to be stern with them but ultimately failed.

The third man was as tall as the older man and had hair almost as long as the woman's. His hair was parted and he had funny birthmarks on his face. He had his arms crossed and had the same smirk as Papa.

The last man they knew very well. His brown hair was different than the other three. His eyes shone with pride, and echoed their mother's. His posture was more formal than the others but nonetheless just as happy to see them as the others.

The four personages were as familiar to Asuka and Haruhi as their own parents. Photos adorned the walls of their homes with these faces and, now, here they were. An impossibility now realized right before their eyes in the jutsu of two little girls.

"Looks like my foolish little brother forgot to lock the archives."

* * *

 **How was it? Hopefully, it was worth the wait. I'm working on the next chapter right now so the next update shouldn't be too long. Be kind to yourselves, ne?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Good afternoon, lovelies! I'm so happy with the response I got from the last chapter. Thank you all for taking the time to review. It definitely helps motivate the story! I do plan on addressing Hina's baby bump, just give the story a chance to flow, also I understand that it's evoked a very strong feeling in some of my guest reviewers and while I appreciate your candidness, keep your anger tempered, 'kay? Not everyone responds to an unwanted pregnancy in the same way, and Hina will address her feelings properly when she's gotten her girls home. So, be patient and keep the triggers to yourselves. NOW! Since we all know I don't own anything and am a lowly fanfic author, without further ado, I give you: CHAPTER 11!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

Sasuke and Hinata Uchiha didn't mind waiting. They often found that some of the best things in their life came from waiting. They also found that some of the worst things in their life came from inaction. Now, they were too busy worried that their daughters were on the verge of death to really concern themselves with being patient.

Fortunately for the Leaf, Sakura hadn't kept them waiting for too long. She was escorted by three ANBU operatives and looked entirely too comfortable considering the circumstances. The smirk she wore was one of superiority and defiance. She knew that no matter what she'd done (or hadn't done) that Naruto would never chastise the mother of his children.

While Sakura believed she was above reproach, Sasuke knew her better than she realized. The look of self-satisfying gratification told him everything he needed to know. He could feel his anger bubbling over and it took all the restraint he had to maintain his composure.

She made her way toward the desk and, rather than staying in front of it, she went around to where the Hokage sat, turned his chair and promptly kissed him full on.

He waved the ANBU away and focused his attention on the pinkette. The two were lost to each other for the moment. This wouldn't have been such a spectacle had Sakura not gone out of her way to reprimand Naruto every time he publicly displayed his affection for her, especially in front of a certain Uchiha. The pair in front of them didn't care that they were being observed. In fact, they both thrived on it for two very different reasons. Naruto was ecstatic that Sakura had finally taken some initiative to show Sasuke that she'd chosen him. That the child in her belly was a product of the love they shared. Sakura was provoking Sasuke and, because she had fallen so hard to vanity, truly believed his anger stemmed from jealousy.

The two were happy to oblige the other in their selfish reasoning, the world be damned. Until that is, Sasuke decided he'd had enough.

"For fuck's sake, you both deserve each other."

She pulled away from Naruto and squared herself against the gaze of the Uchihas. Her own defiant green gaze met a pair of midnight eyes and the message was clear: she was untouchable and they were at her mercy.

"Something wrong, Sasuke? You look upset."

She crossed her arms over a very large pregnancy bulge and smirked nastily at the pair.

"Release the seal."

She laughed darkly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Tsunade-shishou is the only one who can release it and she's just been sent on a recovery mission. You see, the intruder in your home left Shizune-senpai in quite the state, so they both left for the Land of Waves almost immediately after you stormed out of the hospital. Besides, even if you had the permission of the council as a whole, you'd _still_ have to wait for her to return."

He narrowed his eyes at her. He could feel his Sharingan activate and the subsequent pounding in his head. Instinctively, his eyes deactivated and returned to their pitch blackness.

"It's unfortunate really," Sakura continued, propping herself on her lover's lap, "if it were _my_ daughter I'd be gone by now. But someone just had to go an betray the village as a kid…"

Sasuke Uchiha had experienced hatred before but never to the degree and finality that he did at this very moment staring into the deluded green eyes of his former teammate. If it weren't for the restrictions in place, he'd eliminate the lot of them, but all he could do was seethe.

Hinata, on the other hand, had no such seal keeping her Byakugan and tempers in check. Her doujutsu activated and she let her fury flow freely throughout the room. It was subtle at first, no one realizing it was there, but then, much like Hinata herself, it became stronger and manifested her anger. When she spoke, she didn't recognize her own voice. She was possessed by a strength she never knew she had.

"Sakura," she began, voice cold as ice, "release my husband."

The chill in the room was overwhelming and the hatred was palpable. It had seemed that Sasuke was not the only one to develop strong feelings for the woman in front of her. The pink haired medic turned her gaze to the Uchiha matriarch. This was the first time (that she could remember, anyway) that she and Sakura would face off, and if Hinata had her way, it'd be the last.

Sakura left her place by Naruto and slinked over to the Uchiha.

"I don't think you're in any position to make demands, .Ta."

She accentuated Hinata's name with taps on the desk as she walked. The tiny craters left in the centuries-old wood was not lost on anyone in the room, nor had it been intended to be. Sakura wanted Hinata to know that, even in her "delicate" state, she could still pack a punch.

Hinata could feel her chakra inching closer and closer to the maximum. She could feel her fingertips begin to glow…and spark? She'd not realized she'd incorporated her elemental jutsu into her jyuuken but It didn't surprise her in the least. Sasuke would have made her bolder, stronger and she would have learned how to harness her affinity for lightning in the years outside her clan's tutelage. Sakura's eyes went to Hinata's hands as she raised them in front of her chest.

"That's funny," Hinata began quietly, "I didn't realize you were capable of rational thought."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she allowed the seal on her forehead to spread to her face.

"What your tone Hyuga."

Hinata smiled a sickeningly sweet grin. Sasuke had not remembered ever seeing that particular expression on his wife's face but he had seen it on his own before. It was brilliantly terrifying.

"Uchiha."

"What?" Sakura spat.

"As much as it makes your skin crawl, my name is not Hyuga. _My name_ is Hinata Uchiha. Sasuke married _me,_ " she said walking closer to Sakura, "He chose _me._ I am the mother of his children. His clan's blood is carried on through _me._ And as much as you wish and cry and tantrum the fact of the matter remains, that even though I don't remember much, I do remember that he _still chose me_ over you. Twice now."

Sakura hadn't realized that Hinata was close enough to render her chakra points useless. She was so flabbergasted by the fact that she'd even insulted her, to begin with, that she couldn't think past that fact alone. So it didn't take much effort for Hinata to repeat the process on her other arm.

"Now," Hinata continued, "release the seal on _my husband's_ mind so we can go and find _our_ daughters. If you won't, then I will and while I could easily perform the process, we're trying to do things through the proper channels. And believe me, if I have to do it, you won't like what I do afterward."

Hinata returned to Sasuke's side and stood unmoving, like steel and stone. Naruto sat behind his desk, jaw slack, mouth open. Sasuke crossed his arms in smug satisfaction, reveling in the fact that his wife was a badass. Sakura could only stand in place reeling that she was losing what little control she had over the situation.

"Why you b—-"

"Release the seal Sakura-chan."

She turned to her lover's voice.

"WHAT?" She hissed.

Naruto stood from his seat and leaned forward on his desk. His brow was furrowed and he sighed heavily. The years of feuding had worn him steadily down and now, he was just tired. He'd lost his friend a long time ago to hatred and now, he wouldn't watch as the woman he loved created a world of terror for the family Sasuke had chosen to create with Hinata. He wasn't nearly as dense as people took him for, but he did have a weakness in the pink haired woman standing before him, arms hanging limply at her sides. They didn't have to speak to each other anymore. They didn't have to be friends. He just wanted peace in his heart again. Peace with his children and that all stemmed from Sakura's path of hatred.

"You heard me. I'm tired Sakura, the kids need their mother's full attention again. It's time for us to let this go. We're older. We're supposedly wiser and we've each chosen our own paths. We have to live with our decisions and you still have time to choose a better path. Hinata will release your tenketsu so you can release the seal. This has gone on long enough. Just do it so they can leave."

Sakura stared hard at the blonde until finally letting out a breath in frustration. She closed her eyes and softly whispered:

"Release _me_ and I'll release _him._ "

Hinata nodded silently and repeated her touches on Sakura's shoulders, restoring the chakra flow to her arms.

The medic flexed and rotated her wrists and arms, testing the restored range of motion. Satisfied, she let her hands fall to her sides once more.

"You know," Sakura said, raising her hand to examine her fingernails, "you're entirely too trusting."

Sakura acted before Hinata's sluggish, still recovering muscles could react. The Uchiha woman braced for an impact that never came.

It was now that she'd fully realized her decision, and the terror in her eyes was apparent. Sakura had tried to harm the love that held Sasuke in the light and in doing so, she'd provoked his darkness.

Sasuke moved faster than anyone in the room and had Sakura pinned to the window behind Naruto's desk by the throat. Shock and horror were spread across the pinkette's face.

The blonde Hokage shot to her side with both hands on Sasuke's arms.

"SASUKE!" Naruto roared, "LET HER GO BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

"She tried to HURT MY WIFE!"

"That does not mean you can kill mine!"

"YOU'RE NOT MARRIED, IDIOT!"

Sasuke squeezed tighter and tighter still.

"LET HER GO YOU BASTARD!"

Hinata felt like she should come to the other woman's aid but she didn't. Call it karma, or cold-blooded revenge, she didn't care. Sakura was deliberately standing in the way of her finding her daughters. She could have gone without her husband but they were so much more effective as a team. She didn't want to do this without him and he didn't want her to. This was his pride. His clan and he'd more than earned the right to protect and, finally, avenge it. So she watched in silent reverence, as her husband used his brute strength to silence the woman. For all the preparation gone into neutering Sasuke's power, they'd forgotten just how strong he was even without tapping into even one ounce of his chakra. Slowly, a smirk formed on her lips.

Sakura sputtered and whimpered, her face turning blue under the immense pressure Sasuke provided. Tears flowed down her face as the seal on her forehead retracted to its normal diamond shape. Her eyes began to flutter as she raised a weary hand to Sasuke's forehead.

In an instant, a nearly constant pressure that had plagued him since the war ended was gone. As fast as he'd pinned her, he'd released her, letting her body slump to the floor. Naruto pulled her into his arms and cradled her there on the floor. She was breathing, albeit raggedly and shallow, but she was breathing.

Sasuke, too, went to his wife and embraced her. He was finally free to go and find their girls.

"She removed it entirely, Sasuke."

"We need to find Asuka and Haruhi."

Both in tandem, they raced out of the tower and leaped on to rooftops. Faster and faster they went, catching faint traces of chakra as they did.

"Can you sense them Hina?"

"Barely but it's there," she said tracking her daughters with her Byakugan. It had matured and grown since she'd last used it fully but she was grateful for it. She could see pieces of chakra that were as familiar as her own, chakra that she'd grown in her body…

Then, without warning, Hinata skidded to a halt just outside the Uchiha district. She gripped her head with both hands and let out a scream that pierced the heart and mind of her husband.

He doubled back, frantic of her condition.

"Hinata! What happened?"  
He went to her side and grasped her shoulders. She was shaking but he couldn't see any physical signs of injury.

She lifted her head and looked into her husband's eyes. What he found there, he had sorely missed.

"Sasuke, darling, I remember. I remember everything but there's no time right now. Haruhi and Asuka need us and I need to hurt every last one of those monsters who took them."

"Let's go then."

The parents returned to their breakneck speed and raced over rooftops and through trees, hot on the trail of their beloved daughters. They didn't spare a single thought for the couple remaining in the Hokage Tower, huddled together by a window, thanking every god in the universe that they'd been spared from the wrath of an Uchiha.

 **.:.:.:.**

Haruhi and Asuka were engulfed in a purple haze. The bubble that had kept them safe and had stopped time almost seemed to be alive with energy.

Asuka, having cast the jutsu, now shared the brunt of the chakra demand for it with her twin, Haruhi. This new development of shared chakra; however, had gone relatively unnoticed as the pair was much more interested in the effects of the jutsu rather than the power itself.

The four adults, who had long since passed, stood next to the twin girls, admiring them with equal parts wonder and affection. This was, for all intents and purposes, the first time the grandparents, uncle, and cousin had been in the presence of the newest generation and they all were quite immediately smitten.

"It seems that my foolish little brother forgot to lock the archives when he finished with them."

Itachi smirked, arms folded over a navy blue yukata. His long hair pulled back in a loose tail that fell behind him at his shoulders. He'd never been forthcoming with his emotions during his lifetime but death and afterlife had shown him just how important living in the present had been, which included being freer with one's emotions…even if one wasn't actually _alive_ to actually be _living in_ the present.

Asuka and Haruhi had always been told stories of their family, both the good and the bad. Their father had always been hesitant to share the unpleasantries; however, Hinata had gently reminded him that if they didn't learn about their past then it'd be impossible for them to work against the negativities and anger that had plagued the Uchiha for so long.

They understood, as much as young children could, that sometimes bad things happen to good people. They also knew that sometimes, good people did bad things. This world was not black and white, like the Leaf Village tried to make it, but full of varying shades of gray. And now, in front of them, was the uncle they'd admired but never met.

"Itachi-Oji-chan!" Both girls cried out as they ran into his waist, four tiny arms wrapping tightly around him.

"Oomph!" Itachi gasped as he was struck with the force of the twin girls, "they're strong too."

"Tch," Neji replied, "of course they are. They're half Hyuga after all."

This declaration produced a rather prominent twitch on the eyebrow of a certain, former Uchiha patriarch.

"Indeed. However, they wouldn't be _in this_ predicament if it weren't for their Hyuga heritage, now would they?"

Neji narrowed his eyes at the man. Dead or not, he was still a Hyuga and regardless of their actions at present, he was still proud of the legacy he'd left. He also knew that his precious cousin was Hyuga, through and through, and he would not allow her to be insulted, in a roundabout way, but insulted nonetheless.

"Hinata-sama is a strong woman and she has passed down all the noble qualities that the Hyuga pride themselves. It is unfortunate that my uncle is still an idiot but that cannot be helped. She is not to be looked down upon by anyone, Uchiha-sama."

Mikoto Uchiha, having been too entranced by her granddaughters to speak until now, could feel the atmosphere changing and yet another argument brewing between her darling husband and Little Neji.

She'd known his parents for a short time during her life in the village and had a soft spot for the boy since she'd seen so much of her Itachi in Neji. It was unfortunate that both prodigies had met untimely deaths—not something she'd wanted for either of them—but the past was already written. What they _could do_ was help the girls grow stronger by lending them the power the possessed.

"Of course not Neji-kun. Hinata-chan is a wonderful mother to my sweet granddaughters and the perfect wife for Sasuke. I don't think anyone could have rescued him from himself as she did, and for that, I'll always love her," Mikoto said, then becoming sterner, fists finding their way to her hips, "but now is _not_ the time for a Hyuga-Uchiha pissing contest. Haruhi and Asuka are in trouble and they've used a sacred family jutsu to ask for our help. Now are we going to stand here bickering while Itachi is mugged by two adorable little girls or are we going to greet them properly and help them?"

Both Neji and Fugaku turned the slightest shade of red, nodded and returned their focus to the two girls.

Itachi had since recovered from the abrupt assault and had now kneeled down to their eye level, and was doting on them as only an uncle could. The two girls, with stars in their eyes, hugged him again and giggled at whatever secret he'd been whispering.

Neji cleared his throat to gain their attention.

Asuka and Haruhi, in unison, turned to the sound, eyes lighting up again when recognition flooded their faces.

"Neji-Oji-chan!" Asuka said, taking her sister's hand and running to him, leaving a slightly disappointed Itachi in their wake.

"We missed you! Uhm, well, we never really knew you but we come to see you and Itachi-Oji-chan and…and Jiji and…and Baba every weekend! With Mama and Papa!" Haruhi could barely contain herself. She was practically bouncing from one leg to the other. She didn't know why but just being with them gave her so much energy!

Neji kneeled down to them as Itachi had and opened his arms to them. The two girls ran into them, giggling and snuggling. Had Neji still been alive, this would have been improper to his clan; however, he didn't give a single fuck about the Hyuga's traditions or impropriety. He was at the mercy of two tiny Hinatas and he'd give his uncle hell once he saw him again.

"I know you do. I'm quite happy to have such beautiful visitors every weekend. As for missing me, there's no need Little Ones. I'm right here," he touched their chests right where their hearts would be, one with each hand, "and I'll always be there."

The two girls smiled brightly and hugged him again.

"But I think your grandparents would like some attention as well," Neji said smugly and ushered them in the direction of the Uchihas.

The two girls stood still as stones before the proud patriarch and his wife. Asuka, defaulting to her normal timid demeanor, said:

"H-hi, O-ojii-chan."

"Hn," he responded sternly, looking over the girl top to bottom, "the Uchiha are not known for female heirs."

Asuka's eyes widened and she promptly lowered her head to hide her embarrassment. Her bangs fell in front of her eyes, covering them completely. Haruhi, on the other hand, was very much her father's daughter.

"HEY!" She shouted, eyes whirring to life, finger pointed at the mountain of a man, "You don't get to be mean to Ka-chan! She's awesome! Besides, if it weren't for her _you_ wouldn't even be here right now! She's crazy smart and always listens. She's strong too! She's gonna be a great clan leader after Papa!"

Itachi and Neji looked on with equal expressions of pride and superiority. Fugaku Uchiha was not used to being so vehemently put in place, and while shocking, he expected no less from his progeny. Mikoto Uchiha was both proud of the outspoken little girl and annoyed with her husband. She wouldn't have to worry about the Uchiha spirit fizzling out any time soon, not with Haruhi around!

"FUGAKU UCHIHA," she hissed, slapping him on the shoulder, "You have lost your mind if you think you're going to try and treat her cooly. You did that with Sasuke and look what happened."

"In my defense, it was Itachi who—"

"She's a wonderful candidate to replace Sasuke," she ignored him, "AND, may I remind you, ITACHI was thought to be female until the minute of his birth."

Itachi's eyes widened and Neji snickered.

Fugaku, being appropriately reprimanded by his wife, sighed in resignation. If there was one thing more formidable than the Sharingan, it was the will of an Uchiha woman. He didn't envy his youngest son, his daughter had inherited her grandmother's….tenacity.

"Asuka."

The little girl raised her head.

"Y-yes?"

"I did not wish to upset you. You are a fine heir and I am proud that such genius has been passed to my granddaughter. You are more than suited for the role. Perhaps even more so than I was…"

Asuka smiled brightly and Haruhi nodded rightly.

"That's better," Mikoto said, opening her arms wide to the girls, "now come and let me squeeze you both!"

They ran into their grandmother's arms, giggling and squealing at her hugs.

"Baba!"**

"Aren't you both just darling! Oh! Finally! DAUGHTERS!"

The three Uchiha women were lost to each other, enjoying the feminine camaraderie, all the while ignoring the looks from the men in their party.

"Sasuke and I aren't _enough_ for you Mother?" Itachi asked raising an eyebrow.

She waved him off, "Of course you are. Do you understand how long I've waited for _one_ of my sons to give me grandchildren? And even when you came to be with us, Itachi, your brother took his sweet time in restoring our clan. BUT look at these wonderful girls!"

She squeezed them tighter, peppering affectionate kisses all over their faces, earning more giggles from the twins.

Neji cleared his throat again.

"As wonderful as this has been," he began, "I believe we were summoned here for a reason. Hinata-sama would not be pleased if we allowed her daughters to fall victim to chakra exhaustion to the point of death. That would defeat the purpose of the jutsu, would it not?"

The Uchiha men nodded with understanding; however, it was Itachi who continued:

"Generally, yes, one could not perform the Seishin Kaihou without a complete deprivation of chakra. However, it seems that these two not only share their chakra intermittently, they're also immune to chakra exhaustion, and conversely, the more advanced the jutsu, the more their reserves are replenished. At least, that's what I've been able to observe during our short time here. I'd imagine if they were individually attempting such feats, they'd be unnecessarily drained."

Neji's eyes widened, "They don't deplete chakra… _at all_?"

Itachi brought his finger to his chin in contemplation.

"I'm sure they do, but this is something very specific to Asuka and Haruhi. I'd imagine that the combination of genetics, the two bloodlines, and their parents individually had most to do with it. Acting alone, they are susceptible to the normal constraints of ninjutsu. Together, they're practically unstoppable. Their chakra feeds off of the jutsu and replenishes. They share that restoration with each other, much like when they were in the womb. Their chakra networks are intimately tied together. It wouldn't surprise me if their mother wasn't affected by it as well. Although, I can't speak to that as she isn't present."

"So they share their chakra and are replenished by S-Rank secret jutsu that would put you on your deathbed?"

"Precisely."

"Hn," Neji added, smirking, " _my_ nieces are geniuses."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the Hyuga, " _OUR_ nieces, you mean."

"Fine, fine."

Fugaku coughed, signaling to Mikoto that it was time to work. Reluctantly, she sighed, gave them each one last squeeze and stood to her full height.

"Okay beautiful girls, let's see what we can do to help, ne?"

"Indeed," Fugaku began, "the Seishin Kaihou was developed to use in battle. Wherein our recently fallen brethren could be summoned to aid in the final assault on the enemy—the ultimate revenge jutsu. Only those with Mangekyou can call upon it; however, it seems that a ByakuSharingan will work as well." He smirked.

The two girls giggled and joined hands as he continued.

"The possession comes from the souls of the fallen taking over the bodies of the assailants. It seems that there is only one crazed person here and it is that creature behind the desk. Itachi can easily dispatch him. These other two," he said waving a hand in the direction of the two onlookers, "I cannot say are to blame for this ordeal."

The others looked at the pair hiding, dumbfounded, in the corner. Mikoto's Sharingan activated and she gasped.

"Fugaku…these children…they're…"

"Hn," he agreed, "they're the product of Itachi's genetic material."

"Both of them?" Neji asked, incredulously.

"Indeed. The Leaf often referred to our clan as demons, yet here they are seeking monsters like that man to create biological Uchiha without the fuss of dealing with a clan to claim them. I wish I could say I was shocked. Hiashi has always been mad, but I never expected him to offer his own heir's genetic material. They usually keep the bloodline coveted. Although, I doubt such a feat as this could have been pulled off with mere money at the center. These two are our flesh, I can sense it. I'm positive Itachi can as well, which is why I shall ask Neji to deal with the man behind the desk. It is rare that child gets to greet their deceased parent but since we're here and I'm feeling…giddier than usual," he said looking over to the girls, "I imagine they'd like to know him."

Itachi nodded and went to Akira and Akihito in the corner. He dispelled their protection jutsu and the purple glow engulfed them both. Where they once seemed much older, their age was plainly on display. There wasn't much difference in their ages, scarcely a year and now, the likenesses were undeniable. Where Haruhi and Asuka resembled their mother, these two most assuredly resembled their father.

Itachi deactivated his Sharingan and smiled gently at them. He'd never planned on being a father; he'd never been able to see that far in the future. It was a tragedy that took his life, but he'd long made peace with his mortality. These two children were a part of him and he suddenly felt a pang of regret in his heart. He'd just have to make the most of the time he had and there was only one way to do that.

"Come," he began reaching both hands out to the children, "we have much to say and little time to do so." He took them to the farthest reach of the light, out of the way of what is sure to be an onslaught.

The boy and girl followed him silently, all the while staring at the man they'd known to be their father. He turned to them and said,

"Don't be afraid. I'm going to use my Mangekyou and you'll be affected but I would never hurt you. Alright?"

The two children looked at each other and then back to Itachi. Nodding hesitantly, Akira reached for her brother's hand and then her father's while Akihito did the same. The three of them, hands joined, escaped to the world of Tsukuyomi.

"As for you two," Fugaku said, turning back to face the twins, "Mikoto and I will lend you our strength. You'll have your own power along with the maturity of our Sharingan. While the lunatic is fawning over your power, Neji will strike and make it so his mind is incapable of thought. Do you understand what you must do?"

"Yes, I-I think so," Asuka whispered.

"You got it Jiji!" Haruhi declared, fist in the air.

Fugaku sighed, "Jiji? Is that necessary? Whatever happened to Ojii-sama?"

The two girls wrinkled their noses, and Mikoto swatted his shoulder again.

"You'll learn to love it _Fugaku-Jiji_ ," she teased, "let's get started. I imagine our son will be here soon, his rage burning with hellfire and I'd like to do this for him since we've been unable to be with him in this life."

"Hn," he agreed and the two Uchiha took their positions behind the girls.

Fugaku, Sharingan active, placed both hands on Asuka's shoulders. Her own Sharingan whirred back to life, glowing bright red, tomoe spinning wildly. Mikoto took a similar stance behind Haruhi and the girl's Sharingan followed suit.

The purple bubble rescinded slightly to allow time to flow again. Those protected by Asuka's chakra would be unaffected by what the man called Ryu would experience.

Ryu was awe inspired by the scene before him. He had not registered that time had stopped; rather, it was as if the twin sister to his precious Asuka appeared from thin air and both were surrounded by a brilliant ultraviolet light.

"Remarkable!" He cried shrilly, "Asuka-hime! Why didn't you show me this to start with! Your power is glorious and raw! There's so much raw Uchiha power here! YES! This is precisely what I was hoping for when I decided to keep you!"

He scribbled more down in his notebook, unaware of the dangers about to befall him.

"You will soon regret that decision," Neji's disembodied voice rang in the otherwise quiet room.

The man froze instantly, a chill ran down his spine. He stared at the motionless children in front of him. He could see no-one else, not even Akira or Akihito, in the room.

"Who's there?" He whispered.

"Does it really matter _who_ I am? Because in a few minutes, you won't even know who _you_ are."

Neji laughed deeply as he walked behind the man. He placed his hands on Ryu's shoulders and with a loud gasp, the man's bright green eyes, turned white and his face went blank.

* * *

 ****Jiji and Baba is the same as saying Gram and Gramps or very informal names for grandparents.**

 **How'd you like it? I hope it didn't leave you wanting for fluffy Uchiha moments. It's a heavy story so I wanted to break it up a bit. Never fear, Mama and Papa will rejoin their cubs in the next chapter. I haven't forgotten about the Leaf and all their madness, I'm just choosing to let that be the last thing they deal with, but Sakura completely erased his seal so that's progress right? ;) As always, leave a review to let me know how you liked it, yeah? Be kind to yourselves lovelies, you deserve it.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello there!**

 **I'm excited to get this installment out to you as it really starts to heat up here and in the next chapter. We're on the downhill now, Lovelies, and it won't be long until this one is all wrapped up. Don't forget to let me know how you like it! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

The time it takes for a body to travel through the air and into a wall isn't as long as one would think. It was an even smaller window of time when that body was possessed by the spirit of Neji Hyuga.

Over and over again, Ryu's body flew from one wall to another inflicting damage at every turn. It was only a matter of time before he became unconscious, that is if the man had truly given over control of his body.

Ryu stood his full height, grasping at the desk in front of him once more. His body shook as he regained his hold on himself, albeit barely, fighting off Neji's control.

"Very nice Asuka-hime! HA! The ancient Spirit Release art!" He cried in macabre delight, blood dripping from his mouth and nose, "this is truly a marvel. More than even I could have predicted. Even my own collected hybrids cannot manifest such power!"

The girls said nothing continuing to radiate their chakra to the membership of the room.

"Who knew you had such stamina or reserves! I've had the wrong pairing all along, the meekest of the Hyuga and the Uchiha with the most hatred. I had the stronger of the Hyuga daughters and the more pacifistic Uchiha. Truly a wonder how you two have gone unnoticed for so long."

He chuckled darkly. The girls remained silent.

"Ah, I see. If you break your concentration, your jutsu falls? No…you're giving your own chakra to the souls you've conjured. This is almost a… _forbidden_ jutsu. You, my sweet pet, surprise me more and more as time goes on."

Inside the tall man, Neji Hyuga snarled and ripped the man back into the psyche where he could avenge this nightmare.

Ryu collapsed inside himself again but regained his composure.

"You are a stubborn one, Hyuga," he growled in frustration.

Then, once more after fighting hard to maintain control, he faltered, giving Neji the opportunity to seize total control.

Internally, the two men squared off, one on one, each one intent on taking down the other.

 _"Neji Hyuga. Yes. I remember now. The Hyuga's wasted prodigy. You had so much talent…tsk, such a pity you threw it all away for the weakest member of your clan. Then again, maybe I should be thanking you. After all, had you not sacrificed yourself, I wouldn't have my little Asuka-hime now would I?"_

 _Neji sneered at the man, Byakugan blazing._

 _"Regrettably I can agree with you on one point, that my life served a much greater purpose in making way for those two girls, but that's where the similarities in our viewpoints end. Hinata-sama is not the weakest member of the Hyuga. She has a strength that rivals her sister, father and even my own, yet she chose to focus on making her own way in this world. She didn't choose to be a prodigy, so she wasn't. She yearned to be stronger, to prove herself, and she did, inevitably in the end. I will not allow you to take anything else away from her or her children. Your terror ends here."_

 _Ryu's eyes raked over Neji's form. His perfect stance, his posture: textbook. He clucked his tongue in admiration and regret._

 _"Pity," he continued, unfazed by Neji's reverie, "I couldn't convince Hiashi to provide_ your _genetic samples. I imagine yours, combined with your…what did you call her….ah, yes,_ Hinata-sama's _material, would have produced_ quite _the Hyuga specimen. Perhaps there is still leverage…"_

 _Neji growled at Ryu sending even more of the borrowed chakra into his eyes. He allowed Asuka and Haruhi's chakra to fill him and give him the all too familiar rush of battle. His reserves lit his body on fire and he was ready to face this monster._

 _"Pity you'll never get the chance! Locked on." Neji roared as he charged the man._

 _"Hakke Kuushou!" (Eight Trigrams Void Palm)_

 _Ryu was thrown back to the edge of his own mind and, smiling, he opened his mouth. With the lingering effects of the technique in the air, he sucked in a huge breath of air, taking in the remainder of the jutsu with it. His grin spread across his face as he licked his lips. He began a slow clap as he walked toward Neji in the center of his mind._

 _"Very good Neji-kun. Had I been younger, you would've stopped me right there."_

 _His dark laughter filled the void, "Do you really think I'd go to so much trouble to take my Asuka and_ not _do_ any _research on her family's techniques?"_

 _Neji eyed him carefully as he continued to approach him._

 _"No, I know everything there is to know about the Hyuga—and the Uchiha. What_ you _don't know is that_ I _was once an experiment. My master called me the only success. His unique mixture of bloodlines dwell in me and I am able to take any jutsu into my body and refine it into my own. Having absorbed your technique, I'm able to strike you with my attack with some…added Hyuga flair. I wonder, have you ever been mortally wounded by the Gentle Fist? No, I'm sure you haven't…but your cousin has. Shall I present to you what it would have been like for her? I'm sure my Asuka-hime has channeled the strength of her predecessors and has something quite impressive up her sleeve. And if you don't mind, I'd like to make quick work of you to see it."_

 _The man's fingers flew through unfamiliar hand signs. Ryu released his hands, fingers locked and palms out. This technique was unknown to Neji which only made him prepare for the worse._

 _"Ninpo: Tamashī no Haijo! (Ninja Art: Soul Elimination)"_

 _A red light bloomed from Ryu's palms and grew larger and larger until a red sphere, fizzling and hissing, encompassed his palms. He reared both arms back and shot them forward releasing the technique into his mind._

 _The blinding light of the jutsu engulfed them both in a fury of light and fire._

.:.:.:.

"How much farther, Hina?"

Hinata surged more chakra into her Byakugan. Her eyes widened when she finally honed in on the two chakra signatures that were as familiar as her own.

"Just up ahead in that cave, but it's not just a cave. There are hallways and rooms everywhere."

"Can you see them?" Sasuke asked, already on edge.

Hinata's Byakugan could see the familiar ultraviolet of her daughters' chakra, how it pulsed and glowed with their life force.

 _They're alive!_

The tears pricked at the edge of her vision. She watched with greater attention as she continued her rapid pace toward their daughters.

It became evident to her that Asuka and Haruhi weren't alone. There were others with them. Chakra that seemed so familiar yet completely foreign at the same time.

"Yes," she said hesitantly, "but something's different…"

"Different? Different how?"

Sasuke's tone was growing more and more frantic.

 _If something happens to them, I'll never forgive myself._

"They're stronger than I've ever seen. And there are…others. The other chakra seems familiar but I…I don't think I've ever met these people before…"

Sasuke activated his Sharingan out of habit; however, he couldn't see long range like she could. As the distance between them and the cave grew smaller, the chakra inside of it grew larger.

At first, he wasn't sure if his eyes had finally gone bad or if his mind was lost to madness after all he'd been through.

There was absolutely no way those particular chakra signatures could exist on this plane. Closer and closer still, the flickering light grew stronger until it burned brightly in his mind. Flashes of his childhood came crashing back to him.

"No fucking way."

Hinata glanced at her husband.

"What is it?"

"The chakra…it's my parents."

Hinata nearly came to a screeching halt right then and there, but the years of Hyuga training had finally found its purpose.

"Your parents? How is that possible?"

Sasuke didn't want to believe what his eyes were so clearly seeing. Had he been without a family of his own, he'd rampage against the monster who dared resurrect his parents. However much he wished he could lose control, he didn't dare. His daughters, his wife, were more important to him than the hatred burning inside of him, aching for revenge.

"We'll find out," he growled.

Sasuke and Hinata stopped short of the cave's entrance, stifling their own chakra as to not alert the occupants of their presence. It wasn't long before the parents managed to find the room where their daughters were being held captive.

At least, that's what they'd expected to find. They expected the resurrected Uchiha corpses to be holding their daughters prisoner for whatever monster had done this. What they hadn't expected was to find their two young daughters, brilliantly shining and gloriously holding their own in an ancient, nearly forbidden jutsu.

They slipped into the room and silently and, without warning, Asuka's chakra engulfed her parents and they were enlightened to the reality of the situation.

In the center of it all, glowing brightest, were their daughters, eyes active with both doujutsu and radiating the confidence of both clans from whence they came. Behind them, hands still firmly placed on the girls' shoulders, were the spirits of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. And even further behind them, in an isolated corner, was his brother quietly speaking with two unknown children.

"Holy sh—"

"Sasuke!" His mother reprimanded from her place behind Haruhi, "Your daughters are within earshot. Mind your manners."

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock and awe. His parents. His brother. They were all right in front of his eyes. This wasn't an Edo Tensei summoning. This wasn't some bastardized jutsu that ripped the souls from the afterlife for some morbid purpose. This was something he'd never seen before. He'd never thought he'd see his parents or brother again, and yet, here they all were and his daughters were the cause.

Still, the little boy who'd lost his family once upon a time, couldn't bring himself to believe his own eyes. Sharingan and Rinnegan be damned.

"Kaa-chan? Is that really you?" He whispered.

Hinata, sensing his emotions, drew closer to him and took his hand in her own. She squeezed it and he returned the gesture. A mutual sign that they'd both stand beside the other no matter what came next.

Mikoto smiled, having witnessed the subtlety of devotion between her son and his wife, spoke to him from over her shoulder.

"Yes, my darling son, it's me. There will be time for this reunion later. Right now, we have to help the girls eliminate this monster."

It was then that they found the man called Ryu slumped over his desk. One eye white and the other red. Through their respective Byakugan, Sharingan (and in Asuka and Haruhi's case, ByakuSharingan), they could see dual natures battling for the husk in front of them. Bright red and bright white chakra clashing and fighting for dominance.

Hinata narrowed her eyes at the sight before her. She knew that chakra. She knew it very, very well.

"N-no," Hinata whispered, tears forming, "it can't be…"

"It can and it is," Fugaku boomed, "Neji is in there fighting that creature as we speak. I had believed he could handle it on his own; however, I'm afraid I may have underestimated this creature's abilities. It is unfortunate, but I'll need to cut Itachi's reunion short after all…"

Sasuke looked over to his brother and the children.

"Who are they?"

"As your mother said, there will be time for explanations. At present, we are at the point where Neji requires aid if we are to come out of this victorious."

"I don't want to interrupt their visit but…" Mikoto trailed off.

Sasuke and Hinata looked to one another and then back to Itachi. It didn't take much for either of them to recognize the kind of relationship that was forming in that corner. Although locked in Itachi's Tsukuyomi, they'd each had the same look that Itachi had at that exact moment. They'd recognized it instantly from when they'd each been handed one of their daughters for the first time.

Hinata's hand instinctively went to her abdomen.

 _Does he know?_

She wasn't entirely sure how this would play out but she hoped to gain some perspective with the rare opportunity this jutsu had presented.

Sasuke watched in silent wonder at his brother, exactly how he'd remembered him before the massacre, and how he so effortlessly fell into fatherhood. The smile on his lips brought peace to Sasuke's soul.

"…but I think we may have to, Fugaku," Mikoto finished.

Hinata's attention snapped back to the present.

 _Neji._

Neji was inside that man and needed help. She didn't know how but…

"I'll go," she declared, drawing everyone's eyes to her.

"Absolutely not," Sasuke barked, "first, you're not a soul. You can't just jump from one body to another. Second, you're… _condition._ "

Hinata rolled her eyes, "I'm pregnant, Sasuke, not an invalid, I'm perfectly capable of fighting responsibly."

"Be that as it may, Hina, it still remains that your soul can't leave your body without you dying. I won't risk that and I can't lose you again."

Hinata's eyes instantly softened and she turned to him. Her gaze was loving and soothing to his ragged and weary countenance. She brought a hand to his cheek.

Fugaku cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. Sasuke's ears were tipped pink and Hinata's face was rapidly reddening.

"Actually there is a way for her to remain protected and aid her clansmen—"

"Former clansmen, Tousan, she's an Uchiha now and has been for nearly as long as she was a Hyuga," Sasuke declared proudly.

Fugaku smirked, "Apologies, Son, her _former_ clansmen then. As long as she remains inside your daughters' chakra protection, her soul can move freely as well. If it's true that she carries an Uchiha right now, she has the ability to call upon our ancient techniques. She may not possess the Sharingan but the babe growing inside her will. The Uchiha blood flows through her and she has every right to use its abilities. A Hyuga by birth she may be but, as you say, she is Uchiha through and through at present. Besides, even as a Hyuga, she is formidable in her own right. I know from experience, growing Uchiha children is a battle in and of itself."

"It most certainly is," Mikoto agreed, nodding sagely.

Hinata smiled brightly, although she wasn't sure whether to be flattered or insulted, either way, Fugaku Uchiha had faith that she could fight alongside them not as someone who happened to have married an Uchiha, but _as_ an Uchiha. That, in and of itself, was enough to send a spark of electricity into veins, igniting the fire inside of her, to do what must be done.

Looking toward her husband, she could read the uncertainty on his face. He was scared of losing her, their children and himself to the darkness all in one fail swoop.

"Anata," she began, taking both of his hands in her own, "look around. We're surrounded by your legacy. The past and the future. These are the giants on whose shoulders we stand every day, clearing a path for Asuka and Haruhi. We need to have faith that this curse that has plagued our clan for so long will be broken tonight. Look at our daughters. They fight with your tenacity and strength. I'd like to think that they've inherited my more outgoing traits, but that's yet to be discovered," she giggled and then turned serious once more, "I can do this. I _must_ do this. Neji gave everything for me to live, it's my turn to come to his aide."

Sasuke looked into her eyes, his own watering at the edges, and solemnly nodded.

"I'll be here the whole time until you return to me," he whispered, kissing her forehead gently.

She smiled and nodded, before turning to Fugaku.

"What do I need to do?"

He looked on proudly and said, "You'll need to use a variant of the Seishin Kaihou. Rather than call upon the spirit possession of the dead, you'll need to join them in their fight, on their plane. You have to use the Kazoku no Dōmeikuni. The hand signs are the same for the fireball technique; however you don't need to draw the fire from your belly, rather you channel it into your will and resolution to aide your family in spirit form. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" She affirmed confidently.

"Very good. Mikoto and I will help Asuka and Haruhi properly maintain the jutsu and focus their chakra. Our Sharingan maturity and wisdom will guide them continuously, you focus on your part and we shall come out of this victorious. We proceed on your mark Hinata."

Nodding she once again turned to her husband.

"You can do this," he whispered, "I'll be right here."

She smiled and kissed him for good measure before starting the hand seals she never thought she'd use.

Horse.

Tiger.

Serpent.

Ram.

Monkey.

Boar.

Horse.

Tiger.

Focusing all of her chakra and all of her desire into those signs, she called upon the ancient jutsu:

"Seishin Kaihou: Kazoku no Dōmeikuni!" (Spirit Release: Family Ally Jutsu)

In a blink, Hinata was no longer in her body, but outside of it. She marveled at how different Mikoto, Fugaku, and Itachi looked. They were much more vivid in this light than when she'd been in her own body. In fact, the world seemed brighter and she was able to move without restriction.

"Now," Fugaku said, calling her attention, "as long as Asuka and Haruhi can maintain their focus on the jutsu, you'll be fine. If your body moves outside Asuka's chakra, you'll be unable to return to your body. It's imperative that you work quickly as we have no real understanding of how this will affect the child inside you."

Nodding, she focused on the task at hand. In a flash of red, white and now purple, she gathered her will and projected herself into the mind of the man who kidnapped her daughters.

* * *

 **I, like Rock Lee, cannot use ninjutsu, thus I am not familiar with the proper hand signs for the Great Fireball Jutsu. I googled it, but we all know Google is a fickle friend. Otherwise, I hope you liked it! Tell me your thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Until next time, be kind to yourselves okay?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello, Lovelies!**

 **I'm excited to get this out to you. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Also, I don't own anything.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Hinata had grown in her own strength throughout the years, her training always preparing her for the ultimate battle. She'd believed that battle had been during the war, now, she knew better. It had taken her many sleepless nights since, but she'd found something worth fighting for—something worth sacrificing everything for.

Remembering her daughters' playful laughter and her husband's gentle smile, she propelled her soul forward and into the mind of a madman. It was a shock to her senses, enough to occasionally cause her to question her own mental stability. Red, white and violet light flashed all around, her attention focusing on the battle before her. Locked in combat, with his own chakra deflecting the red chakra of Ryu, Neji struggled to maintain his foothold on the man's mind. His foot faltered beneath him and a shard of red chakra nicked his shoulder. Neji cried out in pain.

"Niisan!"

Both gazes shot to her form, now realizing they were not alone. Neji's eyes widened and a sinister smirk coolly crossed Ryu's lip.

"Hinata-sama! You… you should not be here! How did you—"

"The Uchiha have a jutsu for this, apparently," she shrugged, motioning to her ghastly state.

Neji smirked, leaping to her side immediately.

"It seems the Uchiha have a jutsu for everything. Hiashi-sama underestimates your clan."

She nodded as they both assumed defensive positions side-by-side.

"It looks like you could use a little help, Niisan."

"He is…stronger than he looks," Neji conceded.

Neji held his shoulder gingerly, the injury gaping and, even in his spiritual body, was enough to cause him considerable pain. Hinata placed her hands over his wound to heal it with her practical knowledge of medical ninjutsu, however, her actions were preempted by the gentle blooming of ultraviolet chakra wrapping around his arm. It covered it fully, in a motion that reminded the woman of how Asuka would hug her arm when hiding her anxiety. She watched, Byakugan eyes in amazement, as her daughter's loving chakra mended and stitched together her uncle's damaged shoulder. As quickly as it came, the chakra dissipated, leaving Neji with a fully functioning shoulder, the young man flexing and rotating the joint in proof.

"Hinata-sama, your daughters are quite talented."

"So, I'm learning," she exhaled.

"Yes! This is magnificent!" The crazed man was practically beside himself in his discovery.

"Not only can she summon the dead with relative ease, but she can also maintain their life force with her own! My Asuka-hime is quite the prize!"

Hinata narrowed her eyes at the man who'd taken great lengths to kidnap her children.

"My daughter is not a possession to be collected," she growled.

Neji glanced at her from the corner of his eye. His cousin had grown and matured, becoming a fearsome warrior in her own right, ready to stop at nothing to defend her children. He smirked in his pride and turned his gaze back to Ryu, waiting for her to decide when they attack. This was her battle, her fight now, and he would defer to her judgment. After all, there was scarce anything more powerful than the love a mother had for her child.

Ryu watched the pair through curious, cold eyes. The sickly smile plastered over a collected countenance.

"Oh, I see now," he began, working his way toward them, "you're my Asuka-hime's mother. I must confess, I was hesitant to believe these specimens would outgrow your…timidity but they are proving quite rewarding in spite of their obviously inherited maternal traits. You've created quite the bloodline Hyuga-san, you and that husband of yours, and now I am the one to fully appreciate it. The only rub with this situation is I must keep both, as their chakra's power is dependent on the other, but this development will provide a much more willing Asuka-hime."

The man circled the pair, drawing a finger over Hinata's cheek and through her hair.

"Once I eliminate you and your husband, they will be subservient to me. After all, that is their only reason for resistance. In time, I'll have the most powerful weapons in the history of the ninja world. All of which stems from the merging of various branches of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans! Ah! Ha-ha!"

"Why?" Neji hissed, "what evil provokes you to be this despicable."

The man chuckled, "I am provoked by no evil, merely the desire to finish the work of my master."

"Your master?"

"Lord Orochimaru."

Hinata could feel the bile rising within her and the chill of dread run through her. That man had caused her husband so much heartache and grief as a child, but she knew Sasuke had been willing to sacrifice everything in his life for power. Still, the thought produced a violent disgust that shook her to the very core.

Ryu sighed, "Yes, until he turned weak and cast aside his Uchiha experimentation. He created me and I reveled and delighted in the fact that I could serve such genius. After the war, he'd left me behind and I had struggled for years to find purpose. Until I received quite the request from the Hyuga clan head. He granted me access to the Hyuga genetics as well as the cooperation of rather influential medical staff in the Leaf, to obtain everything I needed to create Akira and Akihito. In return, I was given to remain in waiting to collect the final specimens for my research—twin Uchiha/Hyuga hybrids."

Her eyes widened as the realization washed over her.

"My father and…Sakura provided you with the genetic material you needed to create children…"

"If you're referring to the pink haired woman, then yes, that's right. She was willing to give me anything I needed, as long as your children were removed from the village."

Hinata had thought she'd reached the peak of her hatred for the pink haired woman, but her mind and heart had proven her wrong. Sakura had gone along with her father's plans and as a result, turned the Uchiha clan upside down. There were two obvious children who had no knowledge of either parent and her own two children being kidnapped and traumatized to further the goals of a deranged lunatic.

"You're sorely mistaken if you truly believe I'll let you take my children."

The man stopped in front of her and smiled wickedly.

"Your cousin—a prodigy, mind you—was unable to stop me alone. What makes you so certain you can stop me?"

Neji glanced to Hinata and found his own confidence bolstered by her inner strength.

"Because I'm their mother," she hissed as her Byakugan surged and she allowed the chakra to flood her extremities.

"Let's show this fiend just why he's no match for a Hyuga…and an Uchiha, yes Hinata-sama?"

"Right!"

The cousins, standing back to back now, allowed themselves to feel the chakra rush through them. The traditional Hyuga stance on either side, they both activated the most devasting jutsu known to their family:

" _Hakke Hyaku Nijūhasshō_!" (Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms)

Neither ninja saw, nor would they have cared, the look of horror and shock on the face of a man who'd never seen the Gentle Fist at close range…

.:.:.:.

Sasuke watched in silent wonder at his daughters' and parents. He'd only recently discovered their clan's ancient soul techniques and to think Asuka had memorized and perfected the jutsu with essentially no practice…it all astonished him. His father's strong hands grounded her, while his mother did the same for Haruhi. His gaze turned to his brother, still locked in his Tsukuyomi. Itachi had suffered a life of pain, even in death his existence had been manipulated for the gain of crazed ninja. Nevertheless, he'd be able to leave a piece of his own legacy for future generations. Sasuke hoped that once things were settled here, the Uchiha could live peacefully without the interference of a village that hated them.

His focus returned to his wife, head laying peacefully in his lap, his hand gently stroking her hair. He'd kill for this woman. He'd offer himself to the gods as a living sacrifice if it meant saving her own life. Sasuke prayed it didn't come to that but there'd be no hesitation on his part. His daughters would always know his love for them but Hinata was the one they needed to help them thrive. She would lead their clan into the future, guiding them in the way of hope. He knew now, that if the worst case was to become reality, he'd use the Seishin Kaihou as he'd originally planned…to trade his own life, for hers.

.:.:.:.

Itachi Uchiha had resigned himself to his fate long ago, and he'd never—not in his wildest dreams or most fantastic genjutsu—did he have reason to anticipate this type of situation. Regardless of his personal feelings on the matter, the fact remained that the Leaf had once again used his family for their personal gain and, in turn, standing before him was the product of a madman's research. Research that had created two children, with his blood surging through their veins.

It was undeniable that he was their father, it read in their eyes and facial structure; however, there was a softness to them that was markedly not Uchiha. He observed them intently, the children grasping hands and allowing him to take stock. The girl had dark brown hair that was most assuredly inherited from her mother and a lightness to her eyes that reminded him quite a lot of his nieces. She was petite for her age, seemingly older than Haruhi and Asuka but not by much. She regarded him with timid curiosity, but she didn't falter under his watchful eye. The thought brought an overwhelming sense of pride to the elder Uchiha.

The boy was obviously older and had been groomed to be a fighter. His young life had been not unlike his own and Itachi couldn't ease the irrational guilt that flooded him. He stood taller than his nieces and the girl, exhibiting traits Itachi had only seen in himself. His hair was dark, as was custom for their clan, his eyes even darker. They were true siblings, their mother's influence evident in the bits and pieces he couldn't identify in himself.

"Are you going to kill us?" The boy demanded, catching Itachi off-guard.

"If he were going to kill us Niisan, he would've done so already."

The girl's voice was soft, sadness veiled in every syllable. He would need to exercise caution if this were to be a successful meeting.

"I'm not going to kill my own children."

Two pairs of eyes widened slightly at his declaration, but two schooled expressions replaced them once again. The elder child pulled his sister behind him. He adopted a defensive stance, similar to the Hyuga gentle fist, facing him head-on.

"We don't need your pity, old man."

"Old man? Tch, hardly…"

Itachi couldn't resist the amusement he felt. In any other world, they'd have to make their meeting hurried, but here…a second of real-time was three days in his own. He had all the time he needed to understand them and they, him.

The boy sneered.

"Ryu-sama will not suffer traitors and I won't—"

"I wouldn't worry about _that man_ ," he growled, "the sands of time will run out for him soon enough. There's no need to be defensive with me, I wish to get to know my son and daughter."

He had children.

This was the truth of the matter regardless of how they came to exist. It was his duty as their father to impart to them how much they meant to him, even in the short time he'd been with them. He imagined the feeling was likened to that of a father being handed a newborn at birth, except in his case, he was able to see his influence in their features immediately and they would be able to talk with him.

"You're not—"

"Akihito." The girl came around from behind her brother.

"Akari stay back. I have to protect you."

"From whom? This man is our father. I feel it. You do too. He wants to know us, and we could finally be free of Ryu-sama and his experiments."

"Our father is dead Akira…this _man_ is a specter."

Akihito shook with anger. A similar fury that he'd seen in his brother so many years ago. It did not surprise him that his son had inherited the Uchiha fire. Akira placed a gentle, calming hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Yes, he is dead, and perhaps he didn't contribute to our lives in the traditional sense, but how many nights did we spend wishing for this moment to come? Locked away in that basement for so many years…"

There were tears in her eyes now and anger bubbled in the pit of his stomach. This monster had locked his children away.

"Kari we can't just—"  
"We can, Niisan. He's here, we're here. Let's at least see what he has to say."

The two children stared at one another for a long while, undoubtedly battling wills to see which would reign. Itachi watched half in wonder, half in amusement as his son faltered slightly, giving in to the wishes of his younger sister. She smirked slightly, knowing full well of her victory. They turned to him then, the elder bowing with his sister following. When they returned to their standing position, they approached him, cautiously guarded.

"Hello Otousama, I am Akari," she began, a slight pink dusting to her cheeks appearing, "I am nine years old but Ryu-sama insists I maintain a genjutsu to make me seem older. I'm not sure why but I don't mind it so much. Although, my genjutsu was not strong enough to maintain here. I apologize for my weakness." She bowed once more.

"I am Akihito," the boy said, drawing his attention to him, "I'm twelve and I have to use the same genjutsu. Ryu-sama never tells us anything so I can't say why we're forced to alter our appearance other than to scare people. And my sister isn't weak…she's still learning. So, screw you for making her feel that way." He crossed his arms defiantly over his chest.

Itachi smirked, eyes going from one child to the other. These were his children. His flesh and blood.

"Hello Akari," he said moving to her and raising her from her bent stance, "I'm your Touchan so there's no need to apologize for learning or to be so formal." He grabbed the young girl and pulled her into a strong embrace. Taking both children off guard. She was stiff in his arms, unsure of how to respond. Soon though, she warmed to his touch and returned his hug.

"T-touchan?" she whispered reverently.

"Hn."

Her eyes, wet with tears, widened and she buried her face into his chest. The girl had spent her life in the confines of this laboratory, being used as a subject—a weapon. She'd yearned for a family but dared not hope for one as to keep herself from becoming disappointed and bitter. Yet, it seemed, she no longer had to be.

"Touchan!" she cried, overcome with emotion at finally, _finally_ being able to hug her father.

He held his daughter, in his safe, loving embrace, allowing her to feel every emotion that she'd been missing. He knew that she'd been forced to be 'strong' and she'd done so, but now her life would have meaning and family. Akari would no longer be an experiment…she'd reclaim her true identity as an Uchiha.

He glanced toward his son who stared back at him in confusion.

"Akihito, I won't pretend to say that I understand what you've had to deal with in life, but I can say that I know how much you love your sister. Understand that regardless of how your life started, you both are a part of me and such connections—such bonds—evoke a more powerful emotion than mere love. While I won't force you, I can offer you that affection and the family you both deserve. It is as you say, we're mostly gone now, but my brother is a good man and he'll do what is right. His wife is likely related to your mother and could find her for you if you're unhappy with the Uchiha. I can't give you much, my son, but I can offer you the freedom of a future of your own creation. There's no one to experiment on you or Akari. There's no one seeking vengeance. You choose."

Akihito stood silently, allowing the words to sink in. Akari removed herself from her father's arms and returned to take her brother's hand.

"Those girls…their father and mother…they're our family right, Touchan?"

"Yes," he smiled, warming to the endearment.

He was rewarded with a small smile from the girl, noting just how young she was.

"And they're not much younger than me, right?"

"They're eight or so, so I imagine you'd be fast friends…you are cousins, after all."

He placed a warm hand on the top of her dark locks and her smile brightened.

"Aki," she whispered, "can we go with them? I…I know Ryu-sama will try and stop us, but we can help them fight him. I'm tired Niisan. I'm so tired of being a weapon…"

The elder boy sighed as he watched his sister's eyes fall. He turned to his father once more.

"You swear that we'll get out of this alive? That Akari will?"

Itachi turned serious, knowing precisely what his son was saying. He didn't like the fact that he was so willing to abandon his own happiness for his sibling's but, he had absolutely no right to lecture him on the matter. After all, he'd done the very same thing.

"I do…I promise you'll _both_ come out of this alive."

"Then…" he hesitated, glancing back to his sister, "We'll take your offer. Our uncle…he's not a bastard or anything right?"

Sharingan activating, he added, "Because I swear to kami if he hurts her, and it's no better than it is here—"

Itachi smirked then, his amusement at watching his son activate his doujutsu sending pride throughout him. Itachi chuckled, "Akihito, calm yourself. There will be time for battle. Save your Sharingan for then. Sasuke is many things, but there is no one I trust more to protect my children. In fact, I think you'll both appreciate the comradery, seeing as you'll be outnumbered two to one."

Akari giggled, clapping her hands in excitement.

Akihito's eyes widened, and he sighed deeply, "Crap."

Itachi laughed heartily, feeling fulfilled for the first time in his existence. He brought both of his children in his arms for a hug. Akari was more than happy to indulge him while his son, stiffly accepted the affection. Itachi smirked. His children would be taken care of…

* * *

 **There you have it! I hope it was everything you were hoping for and I look forward to getting the next one out to you. :) Be kind to yourselves, lovelies. Until next time.**


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